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MORE OLD HOUSES

IN

WESTBOROUGH, MASS.
AND VICINITY

WITH THEIR

OCCUPANTS

THE WESTBOROUGH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

H

1908

ri4

.WL5 W4f

Gift

NOV 7 ISIS

Contents.

The EivI Whitney Birthpi^ace • • • • ^

The Doctor Hawes House . . . • 9

The John Fay House . . . •

The Samuel Fay House . . . • •

The Jonathan Fay House . . • •

The Parkman Farmer's House ....
The Old Arcade . . . . •

The Brigham Tavern .....

The Cobb Homestead

The Horace Maynard Birthplace

The Governor Davis Birthplace . • • -34

39
42

The Morse Homestead ..... 48

Index

55

(tccrpiRD 172S.— The BikThplack of Ei,i Whitney.— 1765-182:1

The Eli Whitney Birthplace.

The birthplace of Mi Whitney is
only a memory. The picture reveals
an edifice not unlike scores of others
erected a hundred and fifty years ago
by the moderate well-to-do in Massa-
chusetts. The front, having two win-
dows and a large door between them
in the first story with three windows
symmetrically placed in the second and
the top of a great central chimney
peering above the ridge of the roof,
constituted a combination which a
hundred years since might have been
duplicated scores of times in a day's
ride through Worcester and Middlesex
counties. The scant cornice, the lim-
ited number of windows in the ends of
the structure and the rear roof descend-
ing almost to the ground indicated not
only a somewhat meager purse but
schemes of convenience and household
economy quite unknown to builders of
later days. The trees and the numerous
out buildings tell of thrift and some
ideas of beauty as well as utility. The
shop where the Cotton-gin inventor
did his early experimenting, probably
does not appear in the cut, unless that
portion nearest the West end of the
house be the part in question. Though
no complete description of the interior,
so far as known, is in existence, it
doubtless had the usual small hall with
doors on each side opening into rooms
at the right and left with a winding
stairway leading to the chambers

above. Through these first floor rooms,
dwellers must pass to the bedrooms
and pantry and kitchen which were
found in the rear of the house. The
second floor was capable of many sub-
divisions according to the number and
needs of the hired help and the child-
ren. The great chimney gave promise
of at least three, and possibly four fire
places in its first story and two or
three in the second. The edifice was
certainly well ventilated and was built
to last Indefinitely. Only a lack of
paint and the utmost carelessness
could cause the decadence of such old
time houses. Miss Maria Grout of
Westboro remembers the old house and
her description of the interior, though
the same vanished more than fifty
years ago, furnishes the basis of the
foregoing verbal picture.

Occupied by at least four generations
of people, were it not for its single
notable dweller, it is probable the edi-
fice and all that surrounded it would
have faded away without a word of
comment or of regret from the world
at large, just as hundreds of other
houses, having had their day and then,
grown "eild and sair forfairn ", have
disappeared, leaving "not a rack be-
hind." Erected in 1728, it stood for
one hundred and twenty-six years, for
it was not till 1854 it gave place to the
more modern house which now occupies
the ancient site. There had been

Whitneys many, and for many a year,
resident within its walls and anon
gazing- from its sightly outlook, but
only one of the entire number had the
necessary prompting to fathom the se-
crets of what lay beyond the horizon
and to grasp success in distant lands.
Here IJli Whitney was born, Dec. 8,
1765, not only the most distinguished
native of the town, but one of the world
famous, one whose deeds rendered him
conspicuous both south and north of
Mason and Dixon's line. The man-
sion was not ancient then, scarcely
more than well settled in its delight-
ful location, and, in this particular
year, we may fancy that Whitney
dwellers and neighbor callers were
discussing the obnoxious Stamp Act
and other tyrannous measures which
were leading up to the Revolution.

Back of the house, at the left, yet
joining it, was a part which Miss
Grout denominates " the older part "
and here it is probable that the repair-
ing and other like work of the elder
Whitney was done. We are told that
from his earliest age the future inven-
tor was fonder of this part of the house
than of the living rooms proper. Here
he soon learned to use skilfully the
limited number of tools that his father
had brought together for the rainy day
employment, characteristic of the care-
ful New England farmer. When the
old mansion was torn down, it is said
that this portion, moved a short dis-
tance back, became the general utility
place for the farm house and if any
portion of the original structure is in
existence today, it will be found among
the ruins of the shop which tumbled
down under the weight of snow several
winters ago. In September, 1904, when
so many people assembled to witness
the dedication of the Eli Whitney
marker, scores of hero-worshippers

carried away with them bits of these
ruins as mementoes of the man whose
genius not only prolonged slavery but
also suggested the means which
ended it.

The kitchen, which was the large
room, back of the great chimney, was
filled with memories of the subsequent
inventor. Here it was that he took to
pieces the great English bull's eye
watch which, to the mind of the ten-
year-old youngster, was the most won-
derful bit of mechanism in the entire
world. Good folks may differ in their
estimate of the fault he was guilty of,
in pleading illness as a reason for not
going with his parents to meeting on
a noteworthy Sunday, but they will
surely agree in admiring the curiosity
that prompted him to separate the
wheels of the timepiece and the skill
that enabled him to put each one back
in place. The ancient timepiece quiet-
ly ticking, as it hung on its accustomed
nail, gave no token of its lately dis-
integrated entrails and, certainly, did
not tell of the sudden recovery the
youthful Eli experienced when the
meeting-going load disappeared down
the hillside. In this same kitchen, too,
the boy Eli must have worked on his
fiddle during the absence of the father.
When the latter returned and made in-
quiries among his children as to what
they had been doing while he was
away, one of the little folks peached
on her older brother saying, '• Eli
worked all the time on a fiddle." The
reproof of the austere father is record-
ed in these words, " As for Eli, I fear
he will have to take out his portion in
fiddles". What would not the National
Museum of Washington give today for
that particular musical instrument
were the same obtainable ? Far more
than all the worldly possessions of that
Puritan father, when he came to lay

down life's burdens, would not buy it.
Possibly it was in the room which we
would enter from the right of the front
hallway, or as it was called the Bast
room, that the new Mrs. Whitney, from
the town of Sutton, for we must know
that the elder Whitney married twice,
displayed some of the items of her
marriage outfit, among others, a set of
unusually fine table-knives. They ex-
cited the admiration of the twelve-
year-old Eli and he handled them with
ever increasing wonder, still his belief
in his own powers prompted his saying
that he oould make as good a knife
himself. The incredulity of Mrs.
Julia (Hazeltine) Whitney, openly ex-
pressed, was completely overcome a
few months later when the loss of one
of the precious articles was made good
by the lad who had surpassing confi-
dence in himself. What would we
give, could we find today one of the
stick-pins which Whitney made in the
days of the Revolution, that our ma-
ternal ancestors might keep in place
those seemingly impossible poke-bon-
nets, doubtless no more exaggerated
then than merry-widow hats are in
this early part of the twentieth cen-
tury. Very likely the ancient stepping
stone, now the marker of the birth-
place, was trodden many a time by
fair callers in quest of the product of
Eli's genius, thus helping him towards
college and getting for themselves a
bit of finery so dear to the feminine
heart.

■ We can hardly fancy the making of
nails, to which the deft hands of the
youth were turned in these early days,
as a memory of the house proper, but
it could have been no further away
than the shop, the theatre of so many
of his early experiments. There is no
doubt that old buildings in Westboro
and neighboring towns are today held

together in part by these iron objects,
wrought into shape by our eighteenth
century disciple of Tubal-Cain. Cer-
tainly this was the house which was
home to him during the years of his
teaching in the schools of his own and
nearby towns. While he "boarded
round" during the week, there can be
no doubt that on Sundays he placed
his knees beneath the home-table and
enjoyed the delights of familiar cook-
ing and the pleasures of kindred
society. Thence he went to distant
Leicester to attain the knowledge, es-
sential to entering Yale College, then
so far off ; it was a vastly more import-
ant matter than a trip to California
now.

When he went to college in 1789, he
was in his 24th year and his direct con-
nection with the place of his birth
ceases, but the same old building stood
here during those three years of New
Haven life, when he astonished the
staid old professors with his marvelous
skill in mechanical matters. Even then
there were those who thought Eli Whit-
ney was burying his talents when he
entered college, one critic saying, "Too
bad to lose so much mechanical genius, '>
and, when he was permitted to repair
and to restore to usefulness the long
unused orrery of Yale, the carpenter
from whom he had borrowed some
tools said, "A good mechanic was lost
when you entered college". The old
house didn't know it, but all these four
years, the Yale College student was
adding to the fame of his birthplace.
The distance was too great for him to
visit his old home, besides he was long
past his majority when he received his
diploma and he was ready to accept
the first opportunity that offered for
lifelong employment.

We see him, the year of his gradu-
ation,on his way to Savannah to study

law, and there, even on ship-board,
proving- his natural genius by the re-
pairs and improvements made in the
embroidery frame of the good ladies
companions of the voyage. He is a
long ways from the Whitney House,
when he turns his attention to an im-
proved method of separating cotton
fibre from the seed. In the very first
year after graduation, he perfects the
contrivance which rendered the rais-
ing of cotton supremely profitable,
indeed in the language of those who
grew opulent by its cultivation, Whit-
ney made Cotton, king. Doubtless the
tardy mail service of those far away
days bore to the quiet dwellers on the
hill-top, some story of his tribulations
in Georgia, how he had seized upon
the simplest of mechanical notions and
combining them, had given to the
world the Cotton-gin. Very likely
there also came to the house, constant-
ly growing older, some complaints of
the usage that the world benefactor
was receiving at the hands of those
whom he had suddenly made rich.
However, if the letters came they per-
ished in their own day, and no trace
came down to later years.

Not often did the master genius visit
his old home, though we may imagine
that occasionally, in the intervals of
his busy life, he sought the scenes of
his boyhood and as of old looked over
the waters of the Sudbury and the
Assabet, anon to unite in those of the
Concord and, possibly, had a new
vision of the world and its possibilities
in gazing over the vista on which his
childish eyes first rested. The Savan-
nah invention gave to American
slavery almost a century of prolonged
existence and an exaggerated sense of
importance to that part of our nation
lying south of the surveyors' line.
What strange fortune was it that

turned the thoughts of the great genius
in his later Connecticut life, into chan-
nels which were to make him the in-
ventor and improver in fire-arms whose
employment, thirty years after his
death, was to end the reign of cotton
and slavery and, settling forever the
question of State Rights, was to weld
into one compact body the states of
the Federal Union !

When Whitney died in 1825, his
birthplace, the old Whitney House, of
Westboro, was hardly one hundred
years old, and still occupied by those
of the inventor's family, was gaining
some of the celebrity that was due its
long standing and what it had given
the world in the shape of the man, of
whom Macaulay had said that his inven-
tion of the Cotton-gin had done more
for the dominance of America than the
genius of Peter the Great had accom-
plished for Russia. Though only a
marker commemorates today the site
of the Whitney house, yet hundreds of
tourists annually climb the hill to see
where the dwelling stood, from the
sightly elevation gather inspiration
and, at the same time, breath a grate-
ful blessing for the shelter it afforded
the infancy and childhood of Eli
Whitney.

Alfred S. Roh.

Worcester, Oct. 21, 1908.

Note. — The site of this house in-
cluded the southwest corner of old
Marlborough, where stood a "wight
oke, " and part of the old Beers' grant
south of that point. This grant was
laid out in 1692 and was sold by the
Beers' heirs to Samuel How and in
1698 to Thomas Rice who owned most
of the town south of his homestead
near the Rice neadow.

Nathaniel Whitney, the grandfather
of the inventor, whose name appears

The Dr. Hawes Place

on the monument in the southeast
corner of Memorial Cemetery, received
from Samuel Hardy, in 1725. 15}4 acres
in Westborough and 22 acres in Sutton,
south of the Fay farm, of which he
bought an acre in 1728. In 1729, he
bought of Mary, widow of Isaac Shat-
tuck, 12 acres on the east. In 1730^
Thomas Rice sold him 3 acres on the
south, "part of my farm known by
the name of Jack Straw's hill." These
tracts constituted the Eli Whitney
farm. This Nathaniel was selectman
from 1739 to 1742 and in 1751.

In 1765 he deeded to his son Eli, "one
half of my home-place where I now
live." This Eli, the father of the in-

ventor, was town treasurer in 1778 and
selectman during 12 of the years be-
tween 1780 and 1800. In 1807 he deeded
land to his son Benjamin, to whom, in
1813, his brothers Eli and Josiah and
their sister Elizabeth, wife of Elihu
Blake, sold their rights in the home-
stead of some 88 acres. In 1853, Eli
Whitney, the nephew of the inventor,
sold the estate to Marcus Grout who
erected the present house. In 1863 his
widow sold to Charles B. Kittredge
who in 1867 sold to Eben D. White, Jr.
In 1885 the place passed to William H.
Johnson, whose widow is the present
owner. S. I. B.

The Doctor Hawes Place.

In 1732, Thomas Forbush deeded to
Cornelius Cook, blacksmith, "four
acres and fourteen rods of land near
Cranberry Pond, with the dwelling
house thereon: where said Cook doth
now dwell." Five years before Cook
had married Mr. Forbush's youngest
daughter Eunice. In 1750, Cook deeded
this place with house and barn to
Abijah Bruce, who shortly after sold
it to Jonas Bradish. The latter in 1757
sold it to Jonathan Rolf.and he in 1762
to Benjamin Hills of Grafton. I have
the original deed of Hills to James
Hawes of Wrentham, phj'sican, dated
November thirteenth, 1764, in the fifth
year of his majesty's reign. King
George the Third. The price named
was eighty pounds.

In this house Tom Cook was born in
1738. He was noted for his eccentric
ways, taking from the rich and giving
to the poor. In Mr. Parkman's Journal,
Aug. 27, 1779, 41 years after he had
baptized Eunice Cook's baby, in the
old Wessonville Church, still keeping
an interest in him, he writes, "The
notorious Thomas Cook came in (he
says) on purpose to see me. I gave
him what Admonition, Instruction and
caution I could. I beseech God to give
it Force! He leaves me with fair
words — thankful and promising." He
was a great favorite with the children.
"His pockets were always filled with
toys which he had stolen for their
amusement." He was not often de-
tected in his thefts. If he was he gen-

erally found a way of escape. He
lived to be over 90. The house still
bears the prints of Tom's axe on the
front room floor. For further inci-
dents in his life I refer to Mrs. Forbes'
book, 'The Hundredth Town."

It was in 1648 that Edward Hawes
of Wrentham, married Elvjry Lambert.
Their son Daniel was born in 1652 and
married Abigal Gay in 1671. Benjamin,
their son, was married in 1696 and in
1724 married Abigal Fisher. Dr. James,
the son of the latter, was born in 1739
and married Hannah Thompson in
1762. As early as 1761, he was a prac-
ticing physician in Wrentham, his
native town. We have several bills of
medicine bought by him of Mr. Coppin
of Boston, in 1761 and later. He came
to Westborough in 1764.

I here quote from Mrs. Forbes' in-
teresting account of Dr. Hawes and
the old house as it was at that time.

"It was not until 1764 that a young
physician came here to settle, who was
destined to have a large influence in
town. In a few carefuUy written note-
books he has left us a slight history of
his own professional and legal life,
and of the art of medicine as practised
in this town one hundred years ago.
.... His house is still standing on
the corner of East Main and Lyman
streets, with no important alterations
except those he made himself. It was
a wooden building, painted red ; since
then it has received a coat of plaster.
.... As first purchased by Dr. Hawes,
it consisted of four rooms below, and
good chambers on the second floor.
There was the parlor, a small square
chamber opening out of it (now the
front hall): on the other side of the
parlor was the hall, opening into the
kitchen and the doctor's office, part of
the latter forming a projection on the
west side of the house. This room is

smaller than in his day, and is used as
a passage-way to the wood house
beyond. In this room was the tall
chest of narrow drawers, each one
marked like those of a modern drug-
store, the narrow-seated, stiff office-
chair, the small scales for weighing
out medicine, the iron mortar and
pestle for their proper preparation,
the few medical books, including one
he had laboriously copied out himself
from a rare printed copy, and possibly
his records as Justice of the Peace.
He was born in 1739, being, therefore,
twenty-five when he . . . . settled here.
Dr. Hawes is described by a gentleman
over ninety, as being rather tall, plain
looking, with his hair standing up
straight from his forehead. He was
the most prominent citizen of Westbo-
rough during many years. As a far-
mer, physician, and lawyer, he led a
busy life. As a Justice of the Peace,
all the small law matters came before
him. He was no less active in politics;
for many years was Town Clerk; dur-
ing the Revolution was an active home
worker, holding, unflinchingly, the
very unpopular position of constable
for both districts, doing in that line
alone the work of two men ....

"For many years he was deacon of
the Congregational church. He was
one of the original founders of the
Baptist church, which for some time
met in his son's parlor, in the farther
end of his house. He gave them land
in his garden, on the corner of East
Main and Lyman streets, for the
erection of a church building. Here
the First Baptist church was built, and
the old stone step still marks the site.

"He lived here nearly fifty [seven]
years, all the time in the same house.
He died with his ' honors thick upon
him ' in 1821.

"One of his memorandum-books is

10

bound in parchment, with a brass
clasp. Although his commercial and
legal pursuits were so closely connected
with his medical life that it was not
possible to entirely separate the ac-
counts, yet this small volume is almost
wholly devoted to his professional
visits, the medicines he furnished, and
the charges for both."

Interesting details of bills are to be
found in Mrs. Forbes' book.

Among the Doctor's legal papers I
found the following items: In 1783,
Benjamin Warren appeared before him
and complained of himself being guilty
of uttering two profane oaths and was
fined five shillings. In 1785. Elijah
Ivunt, proved guilty of stealing, con-
sented "to the punishment and was
accordingly whipped five stripes on
his naked back by the constable and
committed for the cost of the trial."

In 1802, Bezaleel Newton on com-
plaint that he "did unnecessarily in
said town travel on the 27th day of
December last past, being Sabbath or
Lord's day, against the peace and
dignity of the Commonwealth of Mass-
achusetts and contrary to a law of the
same .... acknowledged the truth of
the above said complaint by paying a
fine of four dollars."

We find many other papers of inter-
est; one memorandum of 173 pages
containing 108 marriages performed
by himself, many of them, if not all,
at the old house, between the years
1782 and 1815. Also, some over 100
printed summons to meet at "my
dwelling house." Much of the court
business of the town was done in this
house. He settled estates, among them
Mr. Stephen Maynard's, for whom he
had done much business. Another
book of 181 pages contains many fa-
miliar names that we often heard in
our childhood, mostly of his profes-

sional visits and some business mat-
ters. One deed of land was in the 13th
year of George the 3rd. King, 1773, and
another in 1788 in the 13th year of In-
dependence of U. S. of America. One
paper appointed Eli Whitney, student
of Yale College, his lawful attorney to
aid him in some business matters. We
have his appointment as Justice of the
Peace in the County of Worcester, at
Boston, May 7, 1783, by his excellency's
command, John Hancock.

Many orders were given to him to
collect pay for the school teachers, who
boarded with the different families in
the district. The poor were looked af-
ter and their bills for board collected.
There is an account of two pews struck
off to him in 1793, with the price, 12^,
18s, and 11^ lis.

We find papers informing the militia
what their duties were. Every able
bodied man was required to take his
part in the work. Musters were held
at the corner of Eyman and East Main
streets on the Forbush land. These
were great days, large gatherings for
Westborough. The old adage was,
"Prepare for war in times of peace."
Also, two warrants for minister's tax,
in 1784 and 1789, the latter of "158
pounds 9 shillings and 6 pence to pay
the Rev. Mr, John Robinson his salary
for the present year." It was signed by
the assessors, Abijah Gale, Joseph
Harrington and Thomas Andrews.

It was in 1770, that a son, James
Hawes, Jr., his only child, was born.
When he was 19 years of age he
attended school at Maiden, Mr,
Adoniram Judson ( father of the great
missionary) being teacher. In 1783,
Mr. Judson preached as candidate in
Westborough and boarded part of the
time at Dr. Hawes', in the old house.
Shelves are there today that were made
at that time for his books, in the south

chamber. I find Mr, Judson's bill for
the son's board and tuition for 52
weeks, dated May 26, 1789, for \9£,
10 shillings, and receipted in full in
1793.

I find the following certificate: "This
certifies that upon examination I have
reason to believe that James Hawes,
Jr,, of Westborough, is well qualified
to teach an English school agreeably
to the first part of an act of the gen-
eral court of this state, made and
passed June 25th, 1789. John Robin-
son, Pastor of the church in Westbo-
rough."

He taught school in Boston. Some
letters are preserved that he wrote
while there. He married Hannah King
of Wrentham in 1792, and brought her
to his home. The house was then en-
larged. The east front room and
rooms back and the ell part were then
added. The room in the ell he used as
his room, called " the clock room." He
was a wooden clock maker by trade.
Seven children were born to him. Two
died in childhood, James, 3rd, and
Achsah. Five girls grew to woman-
hood, but the name Hawes was lost to
the town.

Dr. Hawes' wife died in 1809, aged
66. She was thrown down by a horse
as she came out of church and lived
but a few days.

The son, James, Jr., died in 1813, aged
43. In his death the Baptist church
lost another earnest worker. He, with
his close friend, Mr. Asa Haskell, were
the first in town to profess their faith
in baptism by immersion. They were
coworkers in Christian work. I quote
from the historical shetch of the Bap-
tist church. " The names of the can-
didates were James Hawes, Jr., and
Asa Haskell, Sr. The former was a
school teacher, a good singer, and had
an excellent talent for exhortation

and communicating Bible truths. Un-
til 1813, the year of his death, he was a
great help to the brethren. The latter
also was held in high esteem and was
licensed October, 1801, by the church
in Sutton to preach the gospel. He
improved his gift in the small Sabbath
meetings which were established at
the house of Mr. Hawes. His humble
efforts were not in vain. A number
acknowledged him to be the means of
their conversion, among them a future
deacon. He died in 1803."

The first communion was held in
this house in 1812. In the summer of
1825, Rev. A. Judson, occupied the pul-
pit for a number of weeks, he also
having become a Baptist. A lady
writes from Washington, a former
member : "Mr. Judson must have been
at that time at least 70 years of age, a
man of imposing appearance and
dignified bearing, and his courteous
manners together with his powdered
hair and shirt ruflles, made him appear
a gentleman of the old school. He re-
tained much of the energy and power
that characterized his earlier days and
gave universal satisfaction."

About this time Dr. Hawes moved
into the new part with his son's widow
and children, taking his office furni-
ture into his son's clock room, ( I re-
member that when a small girl I busied
myself spellingthe labels upon the little
drawers of his medicine case), letting
the old part of the house and land to
different families after his son's death
in 1813, as he was not able to care for
the farm. He died in 1822, aged S2,
and was buried in Midland cemetery.

Those who have lived in this house
were Abner Hardy, Holland Forbes,
( Mrs. Forbes' mother died there, aged
96. She was Col. Wheelock's daughter),
Jacob Broaders (father of Hiram);
he used the doctor's office for a shoe

12

shop; also Mr. Sanger, father of the
two deaf and dumb boys.

About 1830. Elijah Haskell, who
had married Mary Hawes, moved to
her old home, the place having- been
divided among the heirs. The old part
of the house was her portion with the
land back, taking in part of the swamp.
At that time buildings stood from the
house facing the road, nearly to Mr.
Rogers' land ; the corn barn stood near
the house, two wood-sheds, then the
chaise-house for the doctor's chaise, a
small shed, then the big barn now back
of the house, which was where Mr.
Fay's house now is, ( it was built about
70 years before it was moved ), a large
cow yard in front, an old well of good
water, and a large pond back of Mr.
Rogers' house, called "Cook Pond." It
had a boat upon it. I have eaten nice
pickerel that were caught there before
breakfast, and bushels of cranberries
have been picked near by and sent to
Boston.

Mr. Rogers' laud was Sophia Hawes'
portion. She married Edward Bellows.
Their daughter married Charles Gil-
more, who built Mr. Rogers' small
house. The land to Water street, be-
longing to Mr. Eamson, went to the
other heirs who were soon married and
left town. The doctor's land joined
Judge Brigham's place — the Parkman
place. There was no house between
the Hawes place and the old parsonage,
at the corner of High street.

James Hawes Jr.'s widow and un-
married daughter, Sarah, remained in
the east part of the house until Mrs.
Hawes' death in 1845, aged 76.

Mary, who married Elijah Haskell,
was born and married in the same
east room, held her 50th anniversary
there, and eight years after, her casket
was placed upon the very spot where
she stood to be married 58 years before.

13

She died at the age of 76 ; her husband
at 90.

The old Baptist meeting-house was
removed to Woodville in 1836, the land
reverting to the family according to
the deed. Many meetings have been
held in the old house — many good
sermons preached. Cold evenings they
would not open the meeting-house but
come into the home, and Sunday noons
the ladies would fill their foot-stoves
with live coals so that they could be
comfortable to hear another sermon,
one hour and a half or two hours long.
The meeting-house was built in 1815,
but no stove was put into it until 1829.
Many advent meetings were held in
the house.

In 1852 more changes were made.
The large fireplace was bricked up (the
old pipe hole is still there), a change
in the rooms, new stairs, the old back-
room and cheese-room taken down,
the outside plastered, and other repairs
made.

There was one large chimney in the
center of the house, which still re-
mains, with a fireplace in every room
around it, with flues extending to each.
We kept our fires by burying the coals
in ashes. One day the fire was out
and the tinder box not in working or-
der, so the little girls were sent to a
neighbor, at the Forbush house, with
the perforated tin lantern after fire.
It was before Lucifer matches were
heard of, we made our own by striking
fire with a flint and steel.

Elijah Haskell left the town for three
years in 1836 to 1839. The reason was
this: The town had voted to relieve
the center school by taking one family
from it to each district. Ours was set
off to No. 3. But father said we should
never go there and his word was law.
The little girls felt badly. But our
parents picked up a few things and

Went to Boston. After three years in
its better graded schools we came back
rejoicing in the privilege we had had.

In 1834 Dr. Rising came to town as
a physician. He was first called to
this house for his first work. Years
after he remarked, " He would not
think this place a healthy place, but it
seemed it was by its record,"

Some have said "Why should a phy-
sician settle so far out of the village ? "
We forget there were few houses where
the pretty village now is. This house
was nearer the great turnpike, the
stage route from Boston to Worcester,
nearer the tavern (the Fisher place)
where all the mail was left, nearer the
old Wessonville church than the pres-
ent village.

There have been two vendues or
public auctions in this house, one af-
ter the doctor died when many of his
old things were sold; another after
Mrs. James Hawes, Jr., died, when
more went, among them the old high
settle (that stood between the outside
door and the big fireplace) in which
we used to sit comfortable. People
did not value ancient things then as
now. The old tall clock is still with
us. As I look upon its familiar face
and hear its musical voice, reminding
us of our duties, it almost seems that
it might communicate many things we
would like to know, for it is associated

with my earliest recollections. It
stood, as I first remember it, in the
corner of the East room and has been
a reminder of the passing away of
precious time and of the old verse :

" The moments fly,
A minute is gone ;
The minutes fly.
An hour is gfone.
The day is fled,
The nig'ht is here.
Thus flies a week,
A month, a 3'ear ;
A life is passed.
Our fathers, where are they? "

Remembering some years since hav-
ing heard that Dr. Hawes. my great
grandfather, had left many papers and
books in an old tea chest in the old
garret, as useless, I found my way un-
der the low roof and saw the large
chest well filled. From these I have
made the selections for this paper. As
he left them in the old desk ( which es-
caped the sale ) there were prohablj'
more valuable papers, but the best
may have been taken by the many de-
scendants, now scattered in various
places.

This house has been in the possession
of the Haweses for 143 years and every
passer-by would easily believe this
was " the old house."

One of the seventh generation,

Lydia Maria Brittanj

July, 1908.

14

The John Fay House

The John Fay House.

In 1680 the General Court of Massa-
chusetts granted and confirmed to the
heirs of Governor Theophilus Eaton of
Connecticut five hundred acres of land
in consideration of the aid he had given
the Massachusetts Colony. It com-
prised the northern half of that part
of Westborough now extending into
Shrewsbury. About two years later
the Eaton heirs sold this farm to John
and Thomas Brigham and the two
sons of their sister Mary, John and
Samuel Fay. These latter had the
northern third of the farm. Its east
boundary, being the west line of old
Marlborough, passed near a spring of
water just southeast of the house of
the calendar, where John Fay had his
home.

We have not the data to determine
just when he built his house but prob-
ably within a few years after 1700.
The births of his four eldest children
were recorded in Marlborough between
1690 and 1700, and he may soon after
the latter date moved to his farm out-
side the town limits. In 1702 his name
appears on a petition to be set off from
Marlborough into a new town. In a
deed from Peter Bent to John Fay
dated March, 1709-10, the latter is said
to be ' Living upon a Farm adjoining
to the aforesaid Town of Marlbo-
rough." This house was known as
one of "the houses of the Fays," on
the map of Chauncy and farms ad-
joining, before the incorporation of

the town in 1717. Judge Forbes' arti-
cle on the Eaton grant in the History
of "Westborough gives fuller details.

The house itself from the rough
sketch of it on the old map was origi-
nally of one story of very modest di-
mensions. The present house was
built upon the same site about 1771, on
the authority of Mrs. Susan A. New-
ton, whose great grandfather, Benja-
min Fay, then occupied it. The old
house was probably joined to the new
one as an ell. A careful inspection of
certain parts of it as they appear today
shows some signs of the original build-
ing. The bull's-eye four-glass tran-
som over the front door may have been
used in the early structure.

An inspection of the present build-
ing shows a large stone foundation for
the central chimney in the cellar, some
15 feet square, with an arch in it 5 feet
wide by 6 feet high and 9 feet deep.
The cellar itself occupies the whole
space under the house. The floor tim-
bers are of hand-hewn oak as well as
the framing of the roof, and are as
sound as ever. Extensive changes
were made in the house by the removal
of the huge central chimney, enlarging
the front hall and opening access
through it to the back rooms. Three
of the lower rooms still retain
the old corner posts and the beams in
tiie ceiling. The large ash trees in
the front yard are judged to be at least
160 years old.

15

The family of Fays early appears in
the history of New England. A deed
of upland and meadow recorded in the
Middlesex Registry in 1669 from Peter
Bent to David Fay is supposed by some
to be the first mention of the name.
Rev. Abner Morse, a compiler of the
Fay genealogy, "has no doubt that
David Fay was a common ancestor of
the N. B. Fays." He was probably
the father of John Fay. But O. P.
Fay in his genealogy begins his list
with the latter.

This John Fay was born in England
in 1648. He embarked on the ship
Speedwell and arrived in Boston on
June 27th, 1656. He was then but
eight years of age, but was probably
bound to Sudbury to meet some of his
relations. In 1669 we find him in
Marlborough, where he married and
where his oldest children were born.
During King Phillips war he went to
Watertown and having survived his
wife, married Mrs. Susanna ( Shat-
tuck ) Morse, who was the mother of
four children.

His oldest son was the John Fay of
our sketch. He was born in 1669, and
married, in 1690, Elizabeth Wellington.
Their first four children were born in
Marlborough and the six others after
he moved to his farm west of that
town. His second marriage was to
Ivevinah Brigham.

"After the incorporation of West-
borough he became one of its most
prominent citizens and filled the prin-
cipal offices." He was chosen town
clerk at the beginning in 1718 and
held that office for ten years. He was
also town treasurer in 1722 ; select-
man some twelve years between 1718
and 1736 ; also moderator of town
meeting in 1734. He was a large land-
owner. Besides the third part of the
Eaton grant of 500 acres, he held in

1709 a " sixteen acre right in all the
common and undivided Land of ye
Town of Marlborough which will draw
32 acres being the division granted to
run double to the house lots," etc. In
1728, David Goodenow sold him 350
acres, bounded north by Edward
Baker's land and west by Oliver
Ward's.

He first joined the Marlborough
church. He served on the committee
on the ministerial lot in Westborough
in 1718, and was one of the first twelve
members of the church there formed in
1724. He was elected deacon in 1737.
As an illustration of the admirable
Christian spirit of the good deacon, an
incident is given on page 95 of the
Town History. He acknowledged on
one occasion " his irregular conduct in
attempting a speech to ye Congrega-
tion," after the regular exercises, and
confessed that " how zealously and in-
nocently so ever it could charitably be
supposed to be made, it was never ye
less very impudent and of ill tenden-
cy." He died Jan. 5, 1747-8, and was
buried in Memorial cemetery, where
his gravestone stands near the monu-
ment. His estate was inventoried at
some ^741, and "desperate debts"
of ^57.

Of his oldest son, John, we shall
speak more fully in the sketch of the
Jonathan Fay house.

Of his youngest son, Stephen, Mrs.
Forbes has told us the touching inci-
dent of his patriotic devotion on his
hearing of the death of his oldest son,
John, in the Battle of Bennington, re-
corded in the Parkraan Diary, page 15.

The estate of the father passed to
his son, Benjamin. This son was born
in 1713. He was married in 1739 to
Martha Mills. They had eleven child-
ren. The oldest of these, Elizabeth,
married Eli Whitney, and their eldest

16

son was Eli Whitney the inventor of
the cotton-gin. By a second wife there
were two sons. In his will he left his
widow for her thirds ^^1114, various
pieces of real estate and also the north-
wardl)' part of dwelling house from
bottom of cellar to top of garret— di-
viding by middle of chimney " with
certain privileges." Also, north end
of barn, one-third part of pew and sta-
ble at meeting-house.

He left his eldest son, Benjamin, the
whole of the remainder of real estate
as per agreement with brother John
and Stephen— in all 264 acres and
buildings.

With the family of this Benj. Fay,
Jr., born 1744, who married Beulah
Stow in 1772, we have come into close
touch through the diary kept from 1809
onward by one of his daughters, Eliza-
beth, who married Dea. Luther Cham-
berlain. From it we learn that in
1840, "her daughter Eucy and Mr.
George N. Sibley, her husband, re-
moved from Grafton to Westborough to
live on the farm which used to be the
habitation of my forefathers." She
also gives in detail the record of a
" Family visit of the descendants of
the late Mr. Benjamin Fay, July 3,
1851." It may well be preserved here
as presenting an interesting picture
characteristic of those good old times.
" This day our contemplated family
visit took place. There were eight of
us, five sisters and three brothers, met
at the old mansion house, where we
were nourished and brought up by the
hand of our kind parents who lived to
see eleven children grown to man and
womanhood, the united age of the nine
now living are 609 years. The whole
number of the family now living, chil-
dren and grandchildren and great
grandchildren is 151.

" Our brother Benjamin was on a
bed of languishing and not able to be
here with us.

" In the first place, my son and
daughter Sibley provided a good din-
ner. After dinner we seated ourselves
in the room where our dear Mother has
so many times called us together to re-
ceive from her lips religious instruc-
tion and to recite to her the Assembly's
Catechism.

" When seated, Mr. Sibley read the
hymn ' Blest be the tie that binds,'
etc., which they sung. Then Dr. John-
son made some remarks and read a
piece of poetry composed by his wife
for the occasion. Then Mr. Sibley
read the 103rd psalm, which our mother
repeated most of, when on her death
bed. Then Brother James made some
remarks and a prayer. Then we sung
a hymn to the tune of Old Hundred : —

' Come Christian brethren ere we part,
Join every voice and every heart;
One solemn hymn to God we raise,
One final song of g-ratef ul praise.
Christians, we here may meet no more
But there is yet a happier shore;
And there released from toil and pain,
Dear brethren we shall meet again.'

" Then Mr. Sibley read the fifth
chapter of 2 Cor., brother William
made some remarks and a prayer, then
Dea. Cheever made some remarks and
Dr. Gilmore and Mr. Sibley, and then
the meeting was closed."

It would be of interest if there were
space to trace the many worthy de-
scendants in this branch of the Fay
family. We may note in passing the
names of Rev. Solomon P. Fay and his
cousin, Rev. Prescott Fay, and their
second cousin. Rev. Hercules Warren
Fay, in the fourth generation from the
first Benjamin Fay.

The estate passed in 1835 from
Benjamin Fay, Jr., and others to

17

leather Chamberlain, his son-in-law,
who left it in turn to his daughter
L/Ucy, wife of George N. Sibley.

The subsequent owners have been
William Emerson, Charles E. Eddy,

Silas A. Howe, M. and J. E. Henry, C.
H. Gulliver, and Mrs. E. H. Moulton,
the present owner.

S. iNGERSOtI, BrIANT,

September, 1908.

The Samuel Fay House.

The first house on this site was prob-
ably built about the time that his
brother John's of the previous sketch
was built. At least two of his children
were born in Marlborough. But the
birth of Jeduthan, the fourth child, is
given in the Westborough record in
1707. So that he was probably living
on his home farm before that date.
The house was one of " the houses of
the Fays " before the incorporation of
the town in 1717.

In looking over the premises for some
signs that would indicate the age of
the present house we find the double
front door as it now appears with the
finish about it, and the small entry
with its winding stairway into which
it opens indicate a very early con-
struction. Also, the very narrow clap-
boarding seen on the front of the first
story furnishes a hint of what may be
the original form of this building.
The low studded rooms with their
corner posts are like signs. The large
central chimney stands on a base in-
closed within stone walls 10 by 15 feet
in length. The very many changes
and additions in the arrangements of
the rooms in later years prevent the
identification of its original form.

In a deed of it from Samuel Fay to

his sou, Jeduthan, in 1733, it is digni-
fied as "our mansion house." This
son was then residing with his parents
and the deed was given "in considera-
tion that he shall take a dutifull child-
like care of us, Samuel and Tabitha."
The estate then included the 30 acres
about the house and the 30 acres addi-
tional on the south side of the road,
" bounded east by Marlborough old
line," with 24 acres of meadow by the
river.

It passed with various additions and
exchanges from the farm north of it,
from Jeduthan to his son, Jeduthan,
Jr.,— one half by deed and the other
half by will of the father dated 1786.

Jeduthan, Jr., deeded it in 1802 to his
son, Antipas Maynard Fay, — "'one
undivided half ( that is the west half )
of my homestead farm on both sides of
the county road to Grafton — said half,
SO acres, with the west half of dwelling
house and one half of cellar."

We find the propert}' next in the pos-
session of Joseph Brigham who deeded
it in 1836, 125 acres on both sides of
the road, to William Cheever. He sold
it in 1870 to Miletus and J. E. Henry,
and the latter in 1893 to Albert B.
Ward, whose widow, Mrs. Roxana
Ward, now holds it.

18

The Samup:l Fay House

Of the personal history of the early
occupants we have but meagre items.
The builder of the house. Samuel Fay,
was the third son of the John Fay who
was born in England in 16i8. He was
born in 1673 in Marlborough. He mar-
ried Tabitha Ward in 1699. He and
his wife offered themselves for baptism
in the Marlborough church in 1701.
He was one of the first inhabitants of
Westboro igh after it was set off from
Marlborough in 1717. He was chosen
surveyor in 1718 to 1720 and held other
minor offices. In " 1721 was Ty thing-
man, which was in those days consid-
ered a highly honorable position, and
was given to none but men of sober
character and good standing in the
community."

He had three sons and four daugh-
ters. His eldest child, Rebecca, mar-
ried William Nourse of Shrewsbury,
whose farm, in 1741, was set off to
Wes thorough.

Of his eldest son, Samuel, Jr., the
Fay genealogy says " He settled on his
father's land in Southboro, where he
had a family of 25 children recorded.
This is the largest Fay family on
record." Rev. Abner Morse says of
him, " his first wife died after deliver-
ing to him 14 children in 20 years, giv-
ing him the privilege of marrying an-
other wife which he was patriotic
enough to embrace, by whom he had
11 more."

He was one of the two of whose
children the historian said "before the
forty-six had all made their debut, it
became comically difficult to find Scrip-
ture names, and the latest comers had
to take what they could get."

One of his granddaughters, Molly,
who married Reuben Maynard. had 13
children, born "all around the lot," it
was said to indicate the many places
where they had lived. Another grand-

daughter, Elizabeth, married Nathan
Bullard of Athol, a saddler, who was
called " a wandering planet for he
moved more than 40 times." They had
13 children. The name of one son,
Samuel, appears in the church records
of Thompson, Conn., spelled "Phay,"
He had 12 children. The family reg-
ister contains the names of at least 110
grandchildren of Samuel Fay, Jr.

He was in Mr. Parkman's parish.
The Diary of Feb. 4, 1739, reads,
"M^ Saml. Fay, jr's. Infant Child
buryd." The Vital Statistics of the
town gives the births of his children
here.

He had differences with his pastor.
In 1738, when he called on him at the
committee's request he found that he
had no desire to see him, "His chief
objection and offence against me", the
record reads, " were what arose from
my bringing in new singing and my
wearing a wigg." When the pastor
spoke of " his not coming down to see
my brother when he called and of his
keeping from seeing me in the pulpit,
... he owned it with a laugh."

The second son of the builder. Jedu-
than, to whom the homestead descend-
ed, married Sarah Shattuck, a half sis-
ter of his brother Samuel's wife, Deliv-
erance. They had 11 children. He
removed to Grafton. His grandson,
Antipas Maynard Fay, who came into
posession of it in 1802, and was living
in it in 1804, had married in 1803
Margaret Willard, whose father, Ben-
jamin, was a clockmaker, and brother
of Simon and Aaron Willard, noted
clockmakers of Boston. Their eldest
sou, Benjamin Willard Fay, was the
father of Jasper and Mrs. Jane (Fay)
Nourse, whose families still dwell
among us, and of George Augustus
Fay, who resides in Grafton on the old
homestead, now "EJlmsdale Farm."

19

The third son of Samuel Fay was
Ebenezer, who settled in Sturbridge.
He had 18 children. One of them,
Jonathan, lived to be nearly 100 years
old and his wife to be 100 years in full.

But this must suffice. There is

neither time nor space to detail here
the record of the Fay family in all its
branches. The dwellers in this one
homestead have united in themselves
the Fay, the Shattuck, the Ward and
the Brigham blood. S. I. B.

The Jonathan Fay House.

There stood on the site of this house
in early times another smaller one-
story house. It is not on record when
or by whom it was built, but probably
by John Fay for his son, John, Jr.
The lands that the father deeded to the
son in 1828 may have included this
site.

Of the son, John Jr., little is known.
He was born in 1700, and married in
1721 one Hannah Child. He died in
1732. Tradition says that he died in
the woods while on an expedition
against hostile Indians. He left five
childen for whom his father was ap-
pointed guardian. His estate, valued
at $5000, was administered upon by his
widow in 1738. She afterwards married
Samuel L<yscomb of Southborough.

The old house was occupied in 1758
by his oldest son, Jonathan. It stood,
probably, just in the rear of the
house of the calendar. It is said that
a roof or shed was built over it con-
necting it as an ell to the new house
when it was built. After many years,
probably as late as 1852, this roof was
removed and the old house which had
been bought by Thomas Meighan, was
moved to the lot on Hopkinton street

which he had bought of P. H, Perrin,
just west of St, Luke's cemetery. It
stood there with some additions till it
was burned one Sunday evening in
August, 1864.

The house before us was built by
Capt. Jonathan Fay about 1774, It
was a fine mansion for the time. It
had a central front door opening into
an entry with stairs at the back. The
rooms on either side were high studded
and remembered by its later occupants
as spacious and well arranged. It was
often visited by strangers as a house
well worthy of special attention. In
one of the front rooms was a spacious
corner-sideboard long preserved in
good condition.

The southwest front chamber was
noted for its occupancy by General
Putnam, as related in a Memorial read
at the Centennial of the Social Circle,
in Concord, Mass., in 1882. Jonathan
Fay, Jr., son of Capt. Jonathan, was a
member of the above organization in
1795.

Of his father's Westborough home it
is said, "It is remembered that General
Putnam on his way to Cambridge in
the Revolution, stopped at his house

20

The Jonathan Fay Housk

over night, and the room he occupied
is pointed out in the same condition
now that it then was, — the walls cov-
ered with figures of Birds and horses,
painted black on a white ground — the
birds as large as the horses." One
who herself occupied this room in later
years adds "and the horses had straight
legs." When the walls were stripped
of their paper the whitened surface
still bore the stencilled figures in dark
coloring upon them. The troops who
were with the General were quartered
in the large barn on the south side of
the road.

The majestic elms that graced the
front lawn as they appear in our print,
were set out, tradition has it, by the
Captain and his wife on their wedding
day.

Of the destruction of the house by
fire, the Chronotype of June 23, 1895,
states that the alarm was given just af-
ter midnight the previous Sunday. The
barn on the opposite side of the road
was evidently set on fire in the base-
ment. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, who then
occupied the house, were aroused by a
neighbor. " If there had been a lad-
der — if there had been water suffi-
cient " — the house probably would
have been saved. Most of the furni-
ture was removed. The loss on the
house was $3200 and $1100 on the con-
tents. Two horses, twelve cows, thir-
ty tons of hay, and all the farming-
tools, wagons, etc., were burned.

The site remained unoccupied till in
1903, Wm. H. White of Brookline pur-
chased it and erected thereon his mod-
ern summer residence.

Capt. Jonathan Fay, who built the
house, was born in 1724. He married
in 1746, Joanna Phillips, daughter of
the founder of Andover Phillips
Academy. He was a thrifty farmer,
and a large land owner, though it can

21

hardly be true that he owned, as it is
stated by one, "all the land from the
village of Westborough to his house,
two miles distant."

In the French war he commanded a
company and was under General
Abercombie at Ticonderoga in 1758.
In his mature years he filled many
offices of trust. In 1768 he was on the
committee for increasing the sittings
in the old meeting house. In 1769 and
in 1773 he was elected selectman of
the town. He was through life on
terms of intimacy and working with
his pastor as Mr. Parkman's Diary
abundantly shows. His horse was
ever at the service of the pastor.

He died in 1800, and his tombstone
with those of his wife Joanna and
their daughter Joanna, and of his wife
Mary, may still be seen in the south-
west part of Memorial cemetery.

In his will, after directing that " the
tripartite agreement made with my
Beloved wife, I^ucretia, at our mar-
riage be punctually performed," and
that various small gifts be given to
other children, it reads, "all the Re-
mainder of my Estate both real and
personal not disposed of I give to my
son David." This son occupied the
farm during his life and in the parti-
tion of his property the real estate was
divided between the widow who had
" the West part of upright house, be-
ginning at centre of the front door —
thence direct through the centre of
chimney to the wall of the middle
room." etc., (a curious and elaborate
specification of details) and the three
daughters, Betsey, Patience and
Nancy, who were given the rest — their
brother David having quitclaimed his
right to them. The whole estate was
inventoried in 1828 at over $11,000.

The property passed in 1848 to 1851
from these heirs to Daniel H. Forbes,

whose will in 1854 left it to his widow
and their children. They deeded it in
1855 to Joseph W. Forbes. Next, in
1856, it was purchased of the latter by
William Emerson. He sold it in 1860
to Amos Goodell. In 1893 the Goodell
heirs sold it to Michael E. Lyons who
owned it when the house burned in
1895. In 1903 Mr. Lyons sold some
thirty acres, including the site of the
house, to Wm. H. "White, in whose
name it now stands.

Of the personal history of the early
members of the Fay family we have
the following items of interest :

After the death of his wife, Joanna,
Capt. Jonathan Fay had married, in
1789, Mary Goddard, and in 1798 he
married again, Mrs. Lucretia Hamil-
ton, who survived him and removed to
Worcester. By his first wife he had
seven children. The eldest son died
while yet a babe. The second son,
John, was a soldier in the Revolution
and died unmarried in Littleton, Mass.

The third son, Jonathan, Jr., is fre-
quently mentioned in Mr. Parkman's
Diary as calling to render services.
As in 1775 he was a fellow student at
Harvard College with the minister's
son, Elias, he was often at the parson-
age. In Jan. 21, 1775, the record is
"Jonathan Fay was up here in the
vacancy," ( that is the vacation at Har-
vard). He graduated in 1778. In his
frequent visits at the minister's he
took great pleasure in the social gath-
ering for singing with the family. He
evidently had some musical abilitj' for
on Sunday, Oct. 4, 1778, the pastor
quaintly writes, '"No body to set ye
Psalm, I was obliged to set it, after a
poor manner, my Self." But in the
second service he was relieved for
" Senior Fay, p. m. set the Psalms."

Jonathan, Jr., removed to Concord,
Mass., where he married in 1776, Lucy

Prescott, and settled as a lawyer. " He
became quite eminent in his profes-
sion " and of such integrity that he
gained among his associates the title
of " The Honest Lawyer." He was in
the Legislature 1792 to 1796.

It was a daughter of this Jonathan
Fay, Jr., Joanna Phillips, who in 1710
married Charles Parkman of Westbo-
rough, a son of Breck Parkman. Thus
the family was again identified with
our town's history.

Samuel Prescott Phillips Fay, the
only son of Jonathan, Jr., was a grad-
uate of Harvard in 1798. He first prac-
tised law with his father and after-
wards moved to Cambridge, where for
35 years he was Judge of Probate for
Middlesex County.

Joseph Story Faj', the son of this
Samuel, was a member of the Ameri-
can Forestry Commission. His suc-
cessful planting of a barren tract of
200 acres at Wood's HoU with a fine
growth of pines and other trees gained
for him a wide acknowledgment.

It was the son of the latter, Joseph
Story Fay, Jr., a man devoted to com-
mercial pursuits, whose generous con-
tribution to the Publishing Fund of
our Historical Society has enabled us
to publish these sketches of the old
landmarks.

Through another son of Judge
Phillips, Richard Sullivan, has de-
scended in the third generation our
former selectman, Richard Fay Parker.

Returning to the fcLtnily of Capt.
Jonathan Fay, we find his fourth son,
David, who inherited the old farm, was
the father of Otis Fay, whose home-
stead was the Ferguson place, nearlj'
opposite Adams street. Otis Fay was
the grandfather of our village attorney,
A. P. Wilson.

The other children of Jonathan Fay,
Jr., were two daughters, Joanna and

22

Till': Parkman 1'\\rmhr's Hoi bi;

Hannah, and a son, Nahum, born in
1768, and a graduate of Harvard Col-

lege in 1790. and afterwards a physi-
cian, S. I. B.

The Parkman Farmer's House.

The land on which this house stood
was included in the farm of the Rev.
Mr. Parkman, when he built his par-
sonage in 1750 on the corner of the
present High street. By his will, his
real estate was left to his widow and
children. In 1789 the legal heirs and
their representatives, some fourteen in
all, deeded all their rights in the es-
tate, both land and buildings, to Elijah
Brigham, who had married for his first
wife Anna Sophia, the daughter of the
old minister, and who had made his
home at the parsonage according to
his avowed intention at the time of his
marriage, as Mr. Parkman quaintly
records in his Diary.

At Mr. Brigham's decease, Feb. 22,
1816, the portion on which this house
stood, with other land, was left to his
daughter, Anna Maria Brigham, — "7
acres and 29 rods, on the north side of
said road, ( East Main street ), with the
buildings and part of building there-
on." She was the daughter of the
wife Sarah, whose father was General
Artemas Ward of Shrewsbury. She
married, in 1818, E. M. Phillips. At
her death it became the property of her
son, Elijah Brigham Phillips, and her
daughter, Mrs. Harriet Maria Clark.
In 1894, it was deeded by them to Judge
W. T. Forbes, who in 1899 sold it to
the B. & A. R. R. Co., in whose name
the estate now stands.

We have no record of the time when
this house was built or by whom.
Mrs. Clark wrote, "She did not know
surely about the house owned by her
grandfather, Judge Brigham, but is
inclined to think it was built by Mr.
Parkman." If so. it must date before
1782, when he died. There is some
doubt whether it was built by him for
his farmers' use. As far as we have
read his Diary, he seems to have man-
aged his farm work by himself with
the aid of such men and boys as he
hired, or who lived with him. In later
years he was evidently burdened with
the care it involved and let it out on
shares. Under date of April 14, 1778,
he wrote that Dr. Hawes took part of
the place "to ye Halves." His farm
extended north and west of his dwell-
ing and comprised a large acreage.

The earliest date we have of the
house is when Benjamin Nourse was
living in it. His eldest son. David,
was born here, March 29, 1798. A
younger son, Joseph Joslin, was the
father of Dea. B. A. Nourse.

We have learned, also, of a farmer of
Judge Brigham's who lived here a lit-
tle later. It was Jesse Rice, who mar-
ried Sophia Newton in 1807, and this
was probably their first home. A son,
Charles P. Rice, was born in this
house in 1809. He was the father of
Mrs. Louise S. Kelley.

23

The fathers of Abner Bullard and
Elijah Burnap are recalled among- later
occupants.

The house appears on the map of
1855 as situated on the old road from
High street north. When Prospect,
now State, street was laid out it stood
on the south side of it and on the op-
posite north side of that street stood a
cider mill.

It was, as the cut shows, a plain one-
story cottage — a very humble dwell-
ing, with only a few living rooms and
a shed in the rear.

In its best days it must have been
valued at but a few hundred dollars.

It was assessed in these last years at
§200. When torn down by the R. R.
company in 1907, it had begun to show
signs of decay and it was deemed hard-
ly worth preserving.

Fortunately the sketch of it was
taken in season to preserve its form in
its attractive surroundings. Its pic-
turesque situation in the shade of the
massive and towering elm that must
have stood for more than a century,
near its southeast corner, made it very
noticeable and attractive to all who
could appreciate its beautj'.

S I. B.

The Old Arcade.

A Westborough building called, in
its old age, The Old Arcade, was for
one hundred and fortj' years, a promi-
nent land-mark of the town. It was
built in 1749, for the meeting-house of
the first church formed in the town.
It was their second meeting-house.
The first one was built at Wessonville
in 1718-33, on the hill near where now
stands the tallest building of the
Lyman School. It was a rough, barn-
like structure, without porch, steeple
or chimney. In that rude building, a
church was organized October 28, 1724,
and Ebenezer Parkman, a young man
from Boston, was ordained and in-
stalled as its minister ; and there he
preached for twenty years, to a con-
gregation made up of people from both
Westborough and Northboroiigh, which
then formed one town, Westborough,

or, as it was called, the West Precinct
of Marlborough. In 1744, this Pre-
cinct was divided. The people of the
northern part seceded from the church
and built a meeting-house of their own
in their village, now called Northbo-
rough. This led the Westborough
people to talk of a new meeting-house
for themselves in the center of their
town. And in 1748, it was voted in
town-meeting "to build a new house on
the north side of the country road
where now a pine bush grows about
twenty-five or thirty rods easterly
from the burying place," which
burying place is now the Memorial
cemetery, opposite the town hall. At
the same meeting, Edward Baker,
Thomas Forbush, Josiah Newton,
Francis Whipple and Abner Newton
were chosen a building committee, and

24

THE ARCADI

six hundred pounds, English money,
old tenor, — equal to about twelve
thousand dollars of our present day
currency — was appropriated for the
work. As there were then only one
hundred families in town, this vote
taxed them on an average, one hundred
and twenty dollars a family. It was
voted that the house should be 50 feet
long, 40 feet wide, with 23 feet posts.
In April, 1749, the work of building
had so far progressed as to be ready
for the " raising " — a great event, at
that time, when all the big heavy tim-
bers— such as were then used— of a
whole broadside of a building were
framed solidly together as they lay
flat on the floor of the house-to-be,
and then raised to their upright posi-
tion by the brawny arms of all the men
of the neighborhood or even of the
whole town. The "raising" of an or-
dinary dwelling house or a barn,
seventy-five years ago, drew together
a crowd of people almost equal to a
cattle show. And, according to the
custom of that day, a liberal supply of
ardent spirits was always provided for
the great occasion. The raising of a
meeting-house was no exception to
this rule. Accordingly, we read in the
town records thatCapt. John Maynard,
Lieut. Simeon Taintor and Ivieut.
Abijah Bruce were chosen a committee
"to take care to provide half a barrel
of rum for the raising of the meeting-
house."

On September 3, 1749, the first pub-
lic service was held in the new house,
rough and unfinished as it was. But
as the old house at Wessonville was
being torn down to get the lumber for
the new one, it was a case of necessity.
Here, then, we see the church with
their beloved pastor established in a
new home, where Dr. Parkman
preached till his death occurred in 1782.

Although the meeting-house was oc-
cupied, as before stated, in 1749, it was
far from being finished. As yet, there
were no pews, no pulpit, no porches,
no heaven-pointing steeple. Three
years later, in 1752, we read in the
Town Records that the town "voted to
build the pulpit, the ministerial pew,
and to sell the pews." By '"selling
the pews "was meant — so it seems
from the record — selling a square
space marked off on the floor, called in
the records a *' pew-spot," on which the
purchaser might build a pew to suit
himself. The town gave a deed of the
" spot " with all the legal formality of
a house-lot of land. The " pew spots "
were located around the walls of the
room, while the middle of the floor was
occupied by two rows of benches, one
row on each side of the broad aisle,—
one row for men, the other for women .
The square pew-spots were enclosed
by board partitions which were sur-
mounted by an ornamental railing, or
balustrade. The choice "spots " each
sold for more than one hundred dollars.
The poor people who filled the benches
must have looked with many envious
eyes upon the occupants of the pews,
taking their ease upon their cushioned
seats, some of them even reclining in
rocking chairs. The balustrade was,
at times, both hurtful and useful. The
story is told of a youngster, who grow-
ing uneasy under the two-hour sermon,
fashionable at that time, worked his
head between the balusters in such a
way that he could not get it out again.
Consequently, the services were sadly
interrupted by his howls of anguish.
But the old men found the same bal-
ustrade a source of great comfort. One
of them said that he could lock his arm
into it in such a way that he had no
fear of falling off his seat while he
slept through the long sermon. He de-

25

Glared that he v>rould never g-o to church
iu the new meeting--house which had
no balustrade on the pews.

In 1773, the congregation had become
so large as to make it necessary to en-
large the house and the town voted to
choose a committee "to go and view
some meeting-house that had been cut
in two and a piece put in the middle."
That committee reported in favor of
enlarging the house in that way,
whereupon the town voted "to split
the meeting-house and put in fourteen
feet." At the same time it was voted
"to build three porches," which porches
are still in existence. One of them
forms a part of the Arnold house on
Heath street ; another, a part of the
Wilson house on Boardman street ; the
other one is found in the small house
on the Blake place on West Main street.

Another relic of the Old Arcade is
preserved in the museum of the West-
borough Historical Society. It is the
large circular window which orna-
mented the eastern gable. Some of
the old oak timbers were used by Mr.
B. B. Nourse in making one of the
bookcases of the society.

The church, under a number of dif-
ferent ministers, continued to occupy
the house till 1836. But for several
years previous to that date, so much
dissension had been growing out of the
Unitarian controversy, that, in 1833,
a division of the church was brought
about. Those members who still held
to the old doctrines, called themselves
Evangelicals and proceeded to build a
third meeting-house at the corner of
Main and Church streets, into which
they moved in 1836, and which they
still occupy. The Unitarians were
left in possession of the old church
which they sold in 1837 to be used for
stores, offices and shops with the new
name of the " Old Arcade." And so it

continued to be used for buainess pur-
poses till 1891, when, old, unsightly,
and out of repair, it was torn down
and gave place to the fine new
Arcade Block which now occupies its
site.

Of course there was much opposi-
tion to its demolition on the part of
many of the older people of the town.
The dear old building was associated
with the most dear and cherished
memories of their whole lives. Re-
ligious and patriotic sentiments begged
hard to spare it, — to preserve it as a
sacred relic. But Yankee enterprise
and business rush turn a deaf ear to
sentiment when sentiment blocks the
way to trade. So the Old Arcade h?.d
to go and is now only a fading memory
of a past age.

One very interesting relic of it,
however, still remains, nameU', the
church bell. When first built, the
church had no belfry or steeple. But
in 1801, one of Dr. Parkman's sons,
Samuel, who had become a prosperous
business man in Boston, made the
church a present of one of Paul
Revere's fine-tone bells. This gift
made the church feel the want of a
belfry which the town immediately
voted to build. The bell was soon
raised to its place and called the people
to church and town meeting there till
1837, when the house was sold. The
bell soon afterwards found its place in
the new Baptist church, where it still
hangs and sends out its sweet tones,
every Sunday morning, over the vil-
lage, calling upon all the people to as-
semble for the worship of God. It has
continued to do this good work for
over one hundred years.

One more relic must be mentioned,
namely, the town clock, which from
1806 to 1842 marked time for the village
from the tower of the church. Since

The Brigham Tavern

1842 it has done the same good service
from the tower of the town hall.

The old Arcade answered the double
purpose of church and town hall. So
it was for almost one hundred years
the center of the religious and political
life of the town. As such, it was a
very dear object to all the people. Its
walls had echoed to the patriotic
speeches which were inspired by the
Revolutionary war; and from its doors,
the greater part if not all the three
hundred men of the town, who did
military service in that war. had
marched forth with the fatherly ad-
vice, the patriotic exhortation and the
pastoral benediction of Dr. Parkman.

For almost one hundred years its
walls had resounded with the preach-

ing of the hard theology and the steru
doctrines of a rigid Calvinism, which,
however much it is ridiculed by the
people and ignored by the pulpit now-
a-days, did. it must be admitted by all,
a wonderfully great and good work at
that time in raising up a strong and
vigorous generation of men and women
who laid deep and wide the foundation
of the best government of the civilized
world, who established schools and
colleges, and founded benevolent, phil-
anthropic and charitable institutions
which have made our country well
worthy to be named " God's Own
Country," as it is so fondly called by
all returning travelers,

G. S. Nbwcomb.
Sept. 12, 1908.

The Brigham Tavern.

One would hardly think of associat-
ing Union Building on South street,
with a famous tavern of seventy-five
or more years ago.

Such at least a part of it was when
joined to the present Westboro' Hotel.

Some of the narrow clapboards on
the south end are still in good condi-
tion, and inside can be seen the old
floors in chambers and hall ; a few of
the narrow windows, and the cornices,
wainscoating and corner-posts in the
upper front rooms.

Though not the oldest in town this
tavern was known as Tavern House or
Gregory Inn, and there in 1807 fifteen
leading men of the town met and or-
ganized "The Union Library Society,"

which lasted until 1839 when it was
merged in the Mechanics Association,
and in 1857 the library was transferred
to the town, becoming the nucleus of
our public library.

In the appraisal of Elijah Brigham's
estate in 1816 we find :

"One acre with dwelling house, barn
and shed, called the tavern house and
is now occupied as such by Daniel
Gregory, owned in common by Breck
Parkman and heirs of E,. Brigham . . .
we divide through centre of front door
and assign all north of said line to
heirs of E. Brigham and set to Sally
Brigham, daughter, one-half of Tavern
House and land."

This Elijah Brigham was son-in-law

of Kev. Ebenezei- Parkman, and
brother-in-law of this Breck Parkman.

Daniel Gregory's daughter, Abigail,
married (September 3, 1817) Lowell
Mason, the well known music com-
poser.

Daniel Gregory's son, John, married
(October 31, 1821) Sally, daughter of
Elijah Brigham, the Sally to whom
half of the tavern was set off, so the
Brigham's and Gregory's were con-
nected by marriage.

But now we find another Brigham
purchasing the tavern.

In 1823 (April 1) Breck Parkman
sells to Dexter Brigham his "South
half of house and estate on which he
(Dexter Brigham) now dwells," and
three years later the records show that
( January 1, 1826 ) John Gregory, brick-
layer, Charlestown, and Sally ( Brig-
ham) Gregory, wife, sold to " D. Brig-
ham innholder 2 acres with building on
same, whereon the said Dexter now
lives."

We have no traditions of the inn in
the time of the Gregorys. Doubtless
there were merrymakings and inter-
esting enough happenings, but, unfor-
tunately, no one thought enough of
them to hand them down to posterity,
and no one is living today to tell us of
those times.

But of the time when it was known
as the Brigham Tavern there are many
interesting things to be told.

I have in ray possession an article
written by my brother years ago for the
" Worcester Spy,'' and as the material
for this article was obtained from an
interview with Mrs. Brigham, and
from personal recollections of my fath-
er, I cannot do better than to quote
it at length.

'• A half century ago the average
New England town had no institution
of more general interest than the 'vil-

lage tavern ' or 'public house,' It was
more than a temporary abiding place
for the traveler, for the citizen of the
town had a certain consciousness of
proprietorship which does not apply to
the hotel of the present day. The land-
lord and landlady were in many cases
looked upon as official characters, and
their manner of dispensing hospitality
had, seemingly, less of a commercial
flavor than that which characterizes
the modern host.

"Fifty years ago ' Brigham Tavern'
was among the famous public houses
ill this part of the state.

'♦ Mr. Dexter Brigham purchased the
hotel property and business in 1821.
(the record shows in 1823-1826) and for
28 years thereafter was its popular
landlord. The tavern stood a few rods
south of the present Westboro' Hotel,
facing the highway now known as
South street.

"The house was a square two-story
structure, with the main entrance in
the centre, and a hallway running
through to the rear. On the right of
the entrance was the public parlor,and
in its rear the family sitting-room ; on
the left was the bar-room, back of that
the dining-room, and the kitchen was
a one-story projection built on the
rear. On the second floor the main
apartment was ' the hall,' the scene of
many a merry-making, where young
and old were wont to assemble to en-
joy the festivities incident to a dance
or supper party."

[Mrs. Harriet M. Clark, daughter of
E. M. Phillips, recalls the many good
times she had had in that old tavern.
She remembers the dance hall, that
had seats all around the room, much
like those at "Wayside Inn, Sudbury.
Mr. Brigham's three oldest children
were her playmates.]

" Two partition frames were fast-

28

ened by hinges to the ceiling, and
when there was an extra demand for
lodging accommodations these were
dropped to the floor, thus securing a
division of the space into three apart-
ments. About three years after Mr.
Brigham purchased the house, he en-
larged it by an addition on the north
side, when the new front corner apart-
ment was taken for the bar-room, and
a separate entrance, with porch, was
provided.

" The bar-room was headquarters for
the male populatian of the village, and
here the political and social problems
of the day were discussed by candle-
light, the local congregation often
being augmented by such of the trav-
eling public as chanced to be in that
pleasant harbor for the night. Liquors,
wine and cider, were in those days dis-
pensed freely, and Mr. Brigham fre-
quently laid in forty barrels of cider
for his winter's store.

" This was previous to the opening
of the Boston & Worcester Railroad,
and all travel was by carriage. Heavy
teams were constantly passing between
Boston and the towns in this vicinity
and with the teamsters there was no
more popular place than ' Brigham's, '
at which to spend the night.

"The barn then stood north of the
tavern, and in common with all barns
connected with the public houses of
that day, was built so that large
wagons could drive through, the car-
riageway not being floored. Mr.
George W. Parker was for a time em-
ployed b3' Mr. Brigham as hostler, and
subsequently he entered into partner-
ship with the latter in conducting the
livery business.

" Mrs. Brigham was exceptionally
efficient and satisfactory in the man-
agement of her department, and had
an enviable reputation for skillfulness

in cookery. On ' Lection Day ' and
' March Meeting Day ' her cake was in
great demand ; not only was an im-
mense quantity required for consump-
tion at the tavern, but it was purchased
by the heads of families to carry home
as a luxury for wives and children.
Cake and sherry wine were daily called
for as a lunch, and for many years
there was a large sale of sponge cake
on Sundays during the noon recess.

" In winter, after a heavy snow fall,
the farmers living most remote from
the village would start out to ' break
roads,' and being reinforced by volun-
teers at every house, would enter the
village with a team of twenty or more
yokes of oxen. These men were re-
garded as public benefactors, and on
such occasions the ' creature comforts'
were dispensed gratuitously at tavern
and store.

" The Boston & Worcester Railroad
was opened to Westboi-o' in October,
1834, and until the following summer
the town was the western terminus of
the line. During the few months that
Ashland, then known as Unioaville,
was the terminus, Mr. Brigham ran a
coach daily to and from the latter
point via. Hopkinton. About this time
the house was again enlarged, the ex-
tension being, as before, on the north
end, and one of the two square rooms
thus gained on the lower floor was af-
terward called the ' railroad waiting
room,' no provision being made for
passengers at the station originally
built. Piazzas were built on the new
section of the tavern, an entrance was
located midway, aud a long entry or
hall ran back to the original hallway,
with which the west entrance commu-
nicated. After this enlargement the
north end of the house appeared sub-
stantially as does the front of the
main building today.

" The occasion of the arrival of the
first railway train from Boston was a
day long to be remembered by those
who were present. It was a general
holiday; the people donned their Sun-
day clothes and gave themselves up
unreservedly to enjoyment. Visitors
came by carriage from the neighboring
towns, and from Worcester came a
party, conspicuous among whom
' Squire Burnside ' is remembered. On
the train from Boston were some forty
or fifty prominent men and railroad
officials. No formalities had been ar-
ranged, but the enthusiasm of the
Westborough people must have digni-
fied expression ; and who but ' Squire
Harrington ' the village magistrate,
could do the honors ? His speech was
impromptu and brief, and perhaps was
never recorded entire, but this detached
and eloquent utterance of the 'Squire's'
seems destined to immortality ; ' We
look for Boston I When lo ! and behold!
Boston is here ! '

"A response to this address was
made by Mr. Wm. Jackson of Newton,
a civil engineer who adjusted land
damages in the interest of the railroad
corporation. The people were then
invited to ride a few miles down the
track, and the primitive coaches of
various designs, were quickly filled to
overflowing, the more venturesome
youngsters even swarming on the
roofs of the cars, and all were carried
who could possibly gain a foothold.
The short run was made at a slow rate
and on the return trip, with an up
grade, the locomotive was barely able
to move the heavy freight.

" Brigham's tavern did an immense
business on that memorable day, and
the amount of liquids consumed was
enormous. The Worcester party
brought a liberal supply of champagne
and when night came on, a large pro-

portion of the participants in the cele-
bration doubtless had somewhat con*
fused ideas of railroading. After this
date Mr. Brigham discontinued the
sale of liquor and his establishment
was called a 'temperance house,'
although during the next few years
wine and cider were sold moderately
for this practice was not then con-
sidered inconsistent with temperance
principles ; finally no liquid more
potent than coffee was sold at the
house.

" During the nine or ten months that
Westboro' was the railroad terminus,
the tavern business was greatly in-
creased by the movements of the
various coaches, which connected with
teams to and from Boston. The Wor-
cester and Dudley stages made one or
two trips each way daily, and their
passengers usually dined at the house.
One of the Worcester stages was driven
by a man named Taylor, who an-
nounced his approach by the clear
notes of a bugle horn.

" Trains were at that time very un-
reliable in their trips, and as the
crudely constructed locomotives fre-
quently became demoralized, horses
were kept at each station to be used
for motive power in an emergency.
The freight accommodations were ex-
ceedingl)' limited, and as there was no
surplus of cars, all freight was un-
loaded on the ground,the train waiting
meanwhile. Merchandise purchased
in Boston, for towns in this vicinity
was shipped by rail to Westboro, and
thence taken by team to its destina-
tion. It was no uncommon sight to see
hogsheads, barrels and packages of
goods lying about 'the common' for
days, awaiting transportation to
neighboring towns.

" For many years Brigham's Tavern
was a famous place for securing a

30

royal supper. The driver of the Wor-
cester stage often brought the an-
nouncement that a party from that
city would drive down toward eve-
ning, and Mrs. Brigham was warned
that a hearty supper and a generous
supply of her ' mulled wine ' would
be consumed. Among the frequent
visitors from Worcester are recalled
the names of Braman, Lincoln and
Sears. The young people of the vil-
lage, too, thought no sleigh-ride com-
plete unless they returned to the tavern
for one of Mrs. Brigham's suppers and
a dance in the old tavern hall.

" Previous to the opening of the rail-
road to Westborough, Hopkinton
Springs had become a popular summer
resort for invalids and others, and af-
ter that date the travel to and from the
Springs was via. Westboro', a coach
connecting with every train. Both go-
ing and coming the patrons of the
Springs Hotel usually stopped at Brig-
ham's, and not a few finally prolonged
their stay for days and weeks. At
times the mosquitoes of the springs
were declared bj^ visitors to be intoler-
ably' numerous and familiar, and many
preferred the livelier surroundings of
Westboro' village. Mr. Brigham kept
a supply of the spring water, which he
supplied to guests in any quantity de-
sired, either for drinking or bathing.

"The house was then at the zenith
of its prosperity, and its patrons in.
eluded many people of note. Among
the Boston people who are remembered
as regular patrons were Harrison Gray
Otis, Major Ben Russell, editor of the
Boston Statesman, whose frequent use
of a heavy silver snuff box attracted
general attention ; Wm. Phillips, a
wealthy resident of Beacon Hill ; Jere-
miah Hill, a retired tea merchant; James
Blake ( of Kittredge & Blake, furniture
dealers ) whose wife boarded at the

house 21 consecutive seasons ; Dr.
Abraham T. Ivow, president of the
bank now known as the First National
of Boston ; Messrs. Nichols & Whitney,
merchants on India Wharf ; Samuel
Greeley, a director of the Boston &
Worcester Railroad, and Nathan Hale,
president of the railroad for 19 years,
and also the proprietor of the Boston
Advertiser ; the latter gentleman often
visited Westborough, and was fre-
quently accompanied by his sons, who
were profuse in their praises of Mrs.
Brigham's mince pies. Among other
guests of the house were Captain Rob-
inson of the navy, whose wife was a
daughter of Major Ben Russell ; Wm.
Jackson of Newton, a railroad official,
subsequently a member of congress
and Mr. Curtis ( afterwards superin-
tendent of the railroad ) who was killed
a few years later by striking his head
against a bridge column as he leaned
from a car window when the train
was entering Boston. The Howlanda
of New Bedford are also remembered,
and Salem and Charlestown were rep-
resented among the regular patrons.

" Among the minor periodical events
recalled were the visits of the Quakers,
who came from Bolton and other
points, in chaises, and who stopped at
the tavern to lunch, and bait their
horses while en route to and from the
'quarterly meetings,' then held at
Providence ; their appearance was in-
variably looked upon as a precursor of
rain.

"Hot coffee was always kept pre-
pared after the traffic in liquor was
abandoned, and small cakes, sold for
six cents, were kept on the bar-room
counter, while for a heartier lunch the
standard mince-pie was certain to be
required.

On the day of the inauguration of
President Harrison, March 4th, 1841,

a ' whig supper ' was held at the tavern.
This was attended by young and old of
both sexes, and many of the younger
people present still remember it as an
noteworthy occasion.

" The history of the house would be
incomplete without a reference to the
railroad accident of June 17, 1840. A
special train from Boston was heavily
loaded with people on their way to a
political convention at Worcester, and
when rounding the curve near the
bridge which spans the railroad about
two miles west of this village, it col-
lided with a down train. The locomo-
tives were driven together with such
force that they were with difficulty
detached, and many passengers were
injured, but none fatally. The wounded
passengers were brought to West-
borough village, and the tavern was
converted into a temporary hospital ;
several surgeons chanced to be of the
party, and these rendered timely ser-
vice. Among the wounded was the
son of Ostenello, the celebrated leader
of the orchestra at the old Tremont
Theatre in Boston.

" Soon after the collision, a second
train bound for Worcester reached
Westborough and as the track was ob-
structed at the scene of the disaster,
this was detained at the station. This
greatly augmented the already large
company gathered, and the demand
made upon the tavern was unpreced-
ented; its resources were never more
severely taxed, and the wants of the
crowd were supplied so far as possible,
but private citizens were obliged, to
some extent, to minister to the material
wants of the multitude.

♦•In 1849 the original portion of the
tavern building was moved a few rods
south, and remodeled for a private res-
idence, into which Mr. Brigham re-
moved with his family, and the hotel

business was sold to a Mr. Bolles."

Mr. Brigham died in 1870 and Mrs.
Brigham in 1889, only two months af-
ter the sudden death of her daughter,
Mary A. Brigham, the newly elected
president of Mt, Holyoke College.

I am fortunate, also, in being able to
give extracts from a recent letter from
Mrs. Sarah L,. Hill, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Brigham, and the only sur-
viving member of the family. She
writes :

"I must have been about seven years
old when the old hotel, which I think
was called the Gregory house, was
separated from the newer part which
my father added, and which is now the
Westborough Hotel, and that would
have been in '52 or thereabouts.

" I do remember the strange sight of
the carpenters sawing through the
roof where the old and new parts joined
and that people came to see the odd
work. Also the open side of the house
exposing the rooms from attic to
ground. As I recall those days when
we lived there my memories are all
personal, of being kept waiting beyond
my bedtime and falling asleep in the
great kitchen when everybody was
hurrying about getting up a late sup-
per for a sleighing party or a dance.

" It seems to me the house was vari-
ously named the Stage Tavern, the
Railroad House and later the Hotel.

" You see how little of interest there
would be in the memories of a child,
only indeed of the family happenings.
My mind has a kaleidoscopic vision of
election days, and firemen's musters,
or Sundays and holidays, when many
people were in and out getting luncheon
and dinners, when the great brick oven
had been heated and good pies and
cakes, baked beans and brown bread,
had issued forth delicious in odor and
beautiful in form. Also of Thanks-

32

giving when the family all came home,
and others, relatives and friends, came
in the evening for supper and games.

"Our old house which became a
straw shop, and of which there is such
a good picture in the calendar was
originally the house of the Gregory
family and I think must have been the
tavern before my father bought it."

Mrs. Hill alludes to the building
which after passing through the
various changes from the Gregory Inn,
to the Brigham Tavern, from the
Brigham Tavern to the family home of
the Brighams, then to a straw shop, is
now known as Union Building.

In the year 1866 it was evidently sold
by Mr. Brigham to Messrs. Snow &
Fellows, and occupied by them for a
straw shop, or hat factory, and from
1870 to 1872 by Messrs. Snow & Hewins,
after which it came into the possession
of Messrs. Henry & Biscoe, and is now
owned by their heirs, and used for
stores and tenements.

The following have been landlords
of the Gregory Inn, Brigham Tavern
and Westboro Hotel ; —

Daniel Gregory, Dexter Brigham,
Andrew J. Bolles, Samuel H. Brown,

Rigley, Thomas Tucker, Rollin K.

Sherman, James Martin, Ainsworth &
Chase, Henry h. Chase, George E.

Thayer, Williams, William B.

Adams, William H. Sullivan, George
S. Smith, and J. F, Hill who has been
the landlord for the past eleven years.

While Mr. Chase was landlord from
1881 to 1885, Westboro was seeing
some of her most prosperous times, as
it was then the National Straw Works
were employing so many people, and
another addition was made to the hotel
being called " the annex," providing
for dining-room and billiard-room
down stairs and sleeping-rooms on the
second floor. At this time there were
as many as one hundred and twenty-
five regular boarders besides transients.

Within a year or so while repaper-
ing a room (No. 3) on the second floor
of the building, a painting was dis-
covered on the plastered wall.

The scene represented a view of a
farm-house with orchard, ploughed
ground, cat-tails, etc. The name of
" Brigham " being discernible it is
supposed to have been the artist's
name, but no one seems to know more
about it.

Of the ownership of the Westboro
Hotel from the time it was sold by Mr.
Brigham in 1853, the assessors' reports
give the following :

1853-1854 Otis F. Vinton and others.

1855-1872 Davis & Bullard.

1872-1876 Cobb & Raymond.

1876-1880 Chas. D. Cobb.

1880 Hosea H. Spaulding.

The property is now owned by Mr.
Spaulding's daughter, Mrs. Katherine
Winchester.

Emma S. Nourse.

September, 1908.

33

The Governor Davis Birthplace.

The Davis family traces its lineage
from the early English stock.

Dolor Davis came in 1634 from Kent
County, England, and was granted 25
acres of land west of Charles River,
and a village lot of one-half rood in
New Towne, ( now Cambridge, near
Harvard Square). His family came
the next year.

Then he sold his holdings (at the
time so many sold in New Towne ) and
moved toward Cape Cod. Dolor Davis
was in Barnstable in 1643 ; in Concord
in 1655 ; returned to Barnstable in 1669
and died there probably about 1673.

In the Northboro line his son, Sam-
uel Davis, made his home in Concord.
His grandson, Lieut. Simon Davis,
moved to Rutland and thence to Hol-
den where he was an inn-keeper and
held responsible town offices.

Simon Davis, Jr., of the next genera-
tion, was a farmer in Rutland, and the
father of Isaac Davis who came to
Northboro.

Governor John Davis was the sev-
enth child and youngest son of Isaac
Davis. Here in this old house he was
born January 13, 1787. Here he passed
his infancy and early school days ;
only his youth, though three genera-
tions of his relatives lived here. He
early left his old home for college ; for
the study and practice of law, and to
fill public offices till the end of his

days, and so worthily that he won the
title of " Honest John."

He graduated at Yale in 1812 ; mar-
ried the sister of George Bancroft ten
3'ears later ; was a member of the Wor-
cester school board the next year, and
a representative to the U. S. Congress
a year later. Four times he was re-
elected to congress ; then, in 1833, was
elected governor of Massachusetts and
reelected the following year. In 1835
he was chosen U. S. Senator from
Massachusets. In 1840 and again in
1841 was elected governor of Massa-
chusetts. Defeated for that office in
1842, he was chosen U. S. Senator in
1845 ; elected U. S. Senator in 1847 ;
retired in 1853, and died April 19. 1854.

Isaac Davis, the father of Governor
Davis, was chosen delegate to a con-
vention, August 7, 1786, at Leicester,
Mass., and was instructed to advocate:
1st, That the Court of Common Pleas
be abolished. 2d, That the whole body
of Lawyers be annihilated.

It was only a few months till John
Davis was born, destined to become a
lawyer, and but twelve years till an-
other Isaac, a grandson of the first
Isaac, was born, to become a lawyer
also. Contemporaneous practitioners
they both lived in Worcester, the first
near Lincoln Square and the second at
the south end.

In the spring of 1842, when Charles

Gov. Davis' Birthpi^ace

Dickens and his wife, in the collection
of American Notes, visited this coun-
try, they were entertained at the home
of Gov. Davis in Worcester. That
Sunday the church of Dr. Hill, adjoin-
ing- Worcester Court House, was
packed with people to hear the Gospel
and see Dickens in the Governor's pew.
But that pew remained empty. Then
the other Davis lawyer issued invita-
tions to Mr. and Mrs. Dickens and to
the" elite of Worcester to attend an eve-
ning party at his house, much to the
delight of Col. Isaac's townsmen.

Before considering further the occu-
pants of this Davis home in Northboro
let us glance at the earlier ownership
of the property.

The proprietors of the Marlboro
Town Grant of 1660 assigned to Samuel
Rice land in Middle Meadow Plain
north of the Assabet river. Samuel
Rice bequeathed to his son Edward
Rice who sold to Isaac Tomlin in 1734.
Tradition says that Isaac Tomlin built
the house — "The Governor Davis Birth-
place." When Isaac Tomlin died in
1745 his estate was appraised at 1487;^,
10s, 3d. He bequeathed the homestead
to his son Hezekiah Tomlin subject to
dower rights and right to east room
below " so long as she remained the
widow." Hezekiah Tomlin died four
years after his father and left a widow
and one child — Resign Tomlin— two
months old. In 1766, this child, then
17 years of age, married John Kelly
and lived in this Isaac Tomlin house*
Ten years later the Kellys sold to
Eilizabeth Grey of Boston, in the early
days of the Revolutionary war. Five
years later, again, Elizabeth Grey sold
to Isaac Davis December 30, 1781. The
farm as surveyed in 1776 by Dea.
Jonathan Eivermore of Northboro was
an irregular shaped tract bordering on
the Assabet river at Cobb's bridge and

fronting south 833^^ rods on South
County road, now Davis street. The
old road to Northboro ran north from
the east side of the old house and di-
vided the farm in halves.

The site of the old house had been
favorably chosen on a sleight swell in
" Milk Porridge Plain " that forms the
divide between the meadows of the
Assabet and tanyard brook, thus com-
manding in all directions broad views
across plains and meadows to hills
miles away.

The subsequent history of this place
centers in the life of the Governor's
father, Isaac Davis, the Northboro
tanner and leather finisher.

When he had reached the age of
twenty-one he was engaged to build
and operate a tanyard on the Maynard
farm in Westboro (now the B. J. Stone
place opposite the Eyman School ) and
to instruct Capt. Stephen Maynard and
his son Antipas Maynard in the leather
and tanning business.

Capt. Maynard had been prominent
in the French and Indian war, till in
1763 France ceded Canada to England.
Then Capt. Maynard returned to
Westboro to inherit hundreds of acres
of land left by his recently deceased
father and to build a new house fit for
a citizen of his standing. Unfortu-
nately ready money ran short and he
found himself compelled to borrow and
mortgage his estate.

To mend matters he engaged Isaac
Davis to instruct him in the tanning
and leather business, since his grand-
father, Samuel Brigham of Marlboro,
had at an earlier date been specially
successful in that line.

Again he had married for his second
wife Mrs. Anna (Gott) Brigham the
widow of Dr. Samuel Brigham who
was another grandchild of the pioneer
tanner. Isaac Davis promptly executed

35

his part of the taiiyard contract and in
1772 married Anna Brigham the daugh-
ter of the above mentioned deceased,
Dr. Samuel Brigham. She was there-
fore the stepdaughter of Capt. May-
nard and the great granddaughter of
the pioneer tanner.

This was the period preceding the
struggle for American Independence
when most citizens advocated resist-
ance to English demands. The few
who continued loyal to the King were
driven from the country, or failing to
go, they were disarmed and not per-
mitted to leave their farms except to
attend Sabbath services.

Antipas Maynard disappeared ; debts
of Stephen Maynard increased ; cur-
rency depreciated till it touched 100 to
1 of gold ; those in debt became insol-
vent and were imprisoned ; the May-
nard tanyard was abandoned.

Then Isaac Davis bought the farm
and Tomlin house of Elizabeth Grey
for 1800 ounces of plated silver, giving
in payment a mortgage and bond in
double the purchase price, or 3600
ounces of plated silver, Troy weight.
Sterling alloy. Plated silver did not
then mean base metal, but coin plate
of mint standard.

Isaac Davis, Stephen Maynard and
John Fessenden signed the bond.
Eight years afterward the bond was
satisfied and discharged by another
mortgage for 600^ lawful money
signed by Isaac Davis and wife. This
later mortgage remained in force and
was not satisfied and discharged until
1811, thirty years after the farm was
bought. We thus see that the family
tradition that John Davis made
periodic horseback trips to Boston to
pay interest money to Elizabeth Grey
could have been true, though he was
not born till five years after the place
was first purchased.

The Davis tanyard was built near the
center of the farm where the old road
crossed tanyard brook, and was put in
operation as soon as the farm was pur-
chased. That business called for all
the ready money available.

The business was profitable, but to
feed, clothe and educate eleven chil-
dren— one in college — called for money.
The eldest two sons— Phineas and
Joseph — soon learned the trade and
joined their father, but each had a
rapidly growing family of his own to
support. At that time there was no
race suicide in the Davis stock.

Simon died at the age of 40, leaving
11 children; Isaac had 11, and of
his sons, Phineas had 11, Joseph 11,
Isaac 13, Samuel 6 and Gov. John 5.

Dea. Isaac Davis had 53 grandchil-
dren, 22 born in Northboro. Four of
his children were born in Westboro
before he bought the Northboro farm,
but they were young, aged respective-
ly, 9 - 7 - 4 - 2 years.

The Davises were a tall, sturdy race
of commanding presence, destined to
lead more than to follow. About 1819
to 1825 they had numerous portraits
painted by artists Peckham and
Wheeler. Besides Dea. Isaac and his
sons Phineas and Joseph, the business
was shared by a grandson, Willidm
Eager Davis, son of Phineas, but he
died at the age of 33. After the death
of the older members, George Clinton
Davis, son of Joseph, assumed full
control of the business, till hides were
imported and tan bark was shipped
from other states. Then after about
90 years continuance of the industry,
tanning ceased at the Davis tanyard.

In early days each of the partners
in the business had a large family and
all had houses within a few rods of
each other.

At one time a part of the leather out-

36

put of the yard was cut into shoes in
the curry-shop and sent out to neigh-
boring- shoe-pegging shops on the
farms, where the shoes were finished
and returned to the curry-shop to be
marketed. In short the raw skin was
converted into the finished shoe.

Until that time it had been the cus-
tom for the farmer to supply his family
with meat by slaughtering his own
cattle. Hides he exchanged for leather
that was held, waiting the arrival of
the itinerant shoemaker, who periodi-
cally tarried with the family till he
had succeeded in shoeing all. The
farmer's clip of wool was similarly ex-
changed for yarn and cloth. Between
producer, manufacturer and consumer
there were then few middlemen. In
1836 the appraisers of the estate left by
William Eager Davis, deceased, named
stock in process of tanning and its
value as follows : — 900 hides $SOO0 ;
450 skins, $450 : $3450. When tanned,
dressed, and finished, the above stock
became very much more valuable.

Profits must have been liberal to en-
able the proprietors to lift the old
mortgage ; to care for four large
families ; to make at least three lib-
eral contributions in 1814 toward
Northboro's first cotton factory ; to
supply the means for building and
equipping in 1832 the Davis brick cot-
ton factory ; to help other industries
and to yield to one of the partners an
estate such that he was able to bequeath
$11,000 to each of his six sons and $7,000
to each of five daughters. Unfortunate
investments alone prevented another
partner leaving a like estate.

In 1826, Rev. Joseph Allen wrote his
History of Northboro and in it states:
"The annual sales of leather by the
Davises amount to more than
120,000."

For a term of 30 years, 1795 to 1825,

Isaac Davis was deacon of the North-
boro church. Early, under the pastor-
ate of Rev. Peter Whitney, later, under
Rev. Joseph Allen.

Twelve years, 1787 to 1798, he was
sent representative to the Massachu-
setts General Court.

His eldest son, Phineas, as a young
man was a celebrated wrestler. But
one day he was injured and ever after
walked with a twisted leg. Phineas
also became widely known for his
fearlessness of savage dogs about
slaughter houses where he drove for
hides. He soon became prominent in
the leather industry. Isaac Davis of
Worcester told the following of his
father, Phineas : One day being in need
of currency he directed his two sons
(the eldest but eight years old ) to drive
to a Worcester bank, ten miles distant,
and get a check cashed. On arrival the
eldest son presented the check. The
cashier looked at the check, looked at
the boy, and asked if any one was with
him? "Yes, my brother is in the
wagon." "Bring him in." When the
cashier discovered the second boy was
younger than the first he asked if any
other came. "Yes, mydawg. Mydawg
always goes. He won't let any one touch
me." " Tell your father he must send
some one older, we can't pay money to
young children." "My father will
send me back ; I know he will ; he
wants the money." Sure enough, next
day the same bo3'S and check reap-
peared, reinforced with a letter direct-
ing the cashier to pay the children and
the father would assume all risk. On
another occasion he directed his daugh-
ter, ten years old, to drive alone to
Worcester and deposit $1000 in the
bank. When she hesitated he told her
to drive to her Uncle John's office in
Worcester and he would go with her to
the bank.

37

Phineas Davis's wife was Martha
(Eager) Davis, daughter of Francis
and granddaughter of Bezaleel Eager,
whose headstone by the roadside a half
mile west of the tanyard marks the
spot where he was thrown from his
horse and killed in 1787.

Martha ( Patty Eager ) Davis strictly
observed the Puritan Sabbath, and
permitted no work in her house from
sunset Saturday till sunset Sunday.
Her pots and kettles, " black dishes,"
could not be used, though she would
knit after sunset Sundays.

Col. Joseph Davis was the second
son of Dea. Isaac and his home was on
the south side of the Plain road (now
the Goodell place.)

His first wife, Lydia (Ball) Davis,
was the mother of nine children that
reached maturity and had families of
their own. She died and Col. Davis
married for his second wife, Mrs. I^ydia
(Cogswell) the widow of Micah
Sherman of Marlboro. She was al-
ready stepmother to five Sherman
children and tradition says that when
Col. Davis asked the widow to become
his wife she wanted to know what was
to become of her Sherman stepchild-
ren ? His reply was : " Fetch them
along ! mix them with mine !" Eater
the youngest one became the wife
of William Eager Davis, son of
Phineas.

Another tradition says that when
George Clinton Davis married Mary
Elizabeth Bigelow of Worcester in
1842, Dr. Hill, after conducting the
marriage ceremony, remarked to
Col. Davis, "Your son to-day takes
from Worcester one of our finest young
women." The reply without hesitation
was : "Well ! We shall see ! We shall
see ! "

In addition to the leather industry
Col. Davis mustered and trained the

militia annually on the field east of his
tanyard.

He also served in both branches of
the Massachusetts legislature.

A temperance movement started in
his day and his refusal to serve spirits
at the funeral of his wife caused much
comment at the time.

Col. Davis, during his later years,
was partially paralyzed and was com-
pelled to exercise extreme care and
moderation in getting into and out of
his carriage. "Old Bay." his faithful
horse, then proved most valuable, not
moving till his master gave the word.
When his master died, in 1843, "Old
Bay," harnessed to the hearse, took
the body to the tomb and then went to
Holden with one of the daughters
where he became useful in winter,
taking a sleigh load of children to
school and returning without a driver.
Occasionally he was sent, without a
driver, to bring the children from
school, a mile distant.

Death took the head of the house in
his new home in 1847 and "Old Bay"
returned to Northboro. When the old
Tomlin house was about to be torn
down in the early spring of 1852, a
daguerreotype was taken showing the
house and "Old Bay." The lad of 14
holding the horse was the present
writer. The frame of the old house
was sold to the head carpenter and was
used by him in building the house now
standing at the west corner of Board-
man and Church streets, Westboro.

During the summer of that year, af-
ter the old house was gone and con-
struction of the new house begun,
" Old Bay " was sent one stormy after-
noon to take the carpenters home and
died before morning.

The favorite animal in the Phineas
Davis family was the dog before men-
tioned as accompanying the boj'S to

38

Thk C<jbi', Homestead

the bank in Worcester, He would
mount the driver's seat in the sleigh,
take the lines in his mouth and drive
home with a load of noisy school chil-

dren, always uttering a growl when
he met a team.

J. D. ESTABROOK.
Northboro, Oct. 1908.

The Cobb Homestead.

The house which we know as the
Cobb Homestead and which is situated
in the northern part of Westboro', ad-
joining the Assabet river, was built
about 1777, and came into possession
of Edward Cobb, the grandfather of
C. D. Cobb, in 1788. The original
house was very small, consisting of
one front room and a kitchen, but in
the course- of a few years, a large
chimney was built, and a north room
with fireplace, was added. This
chimney, which was in the center, was
four feet square, and fireplaces were
the means used for heating. In this
little house, Edward Cobb brought up
his nine children.

Edward Cobb married Hannah
Hallet, about 1776.

Their children were Gershom, born
about, 1780 ; Allen H., born about 1783.
As there is no date of the birth of
these two children or record of their
death, they might have lived and died
in Maine, or they may have been born
in Barnstable on Cape Cod.

The following children were born in
the Old Homestead :

Edward, born October 18, 1783 ;
Harvey, born October 16, 1785 ; John
Hallett, born September 25,1787 ; Sallie
Snow, born March 6, 1790 ; Thatcher

Davis, born November 1, 1793 ; Josiah,
born January 5, 1796.— (He wrote the
story of his travels and experiences at
Dartmoor Prison, England, in two
volumesi) — Charles, born January 4,
1800.

It was said by Josiah Cobb, son of
Edward, that four brothers came from
England — one going north — one south
— one east, and one west. Some of
them settled on Cape Cod. and many
of their descendants are buried there.
In those days the name was spelled
Cobe, but years after it was changed
to Cobb.

Most of Edward Cobb's children
lived to manhood and womanhood and
were men and women of more or less
ability.

Mrs. Cobb was one of the early
Methodists of Westborough. In the
beginning of that sect the adherents
met in different houses. Mrs. Cobb's
was a frequent place of meeting. She
was baptized about 1804, so that from
the early years of the children, they
probably attended the stated worship
of the Methodists.

One of the sons, Allen H., was a
Methodist minister of some note. In
1845, he preached the funeral sermon
of his grandmother, Hannah Hallett,

in the Congregational church in West-
boro,' to a full house. He also preached
the next Sunday, in the same place.
He had the rather remarkable ability,
of being able to give a good sermon, on
any verse of Scripture, without previ-
ous preparation. In this respect he
had the advantage of the minister, of
whom the following anecdote is told.
This minister went to church one Sun-
day morning, and found to his dismay
that he had left his sermon at home.
He told his people of his embarassment,
and said that in the morning he would
have to depend on the Lord, but in the
evening he would come better prepared .

Thatcher Davis Cobb, the father of
Charles Davis Cobb, was married,
March 15, 1820, to I^ucy Cliebee, also
of Westboro'. He had seven children.

Charles D.. born 1820, died 1883-
Hannah Hallett, born 1832, died 1840.
Josiah Hammond, born 1824, died 1889.
John, born 1826, died in Maiden, in 1908.
Henry Edward, born 1829, died 1891,
(his daughter Mary, married W. H.
Mills of New York City. Marshall W.,
born 1831, ( he resided in Newton. )
Ellen Maria, born 1836, died 1888.

When Thatcher was married the
house was still small and primitive, as
in the older generation. It was not
finished inside or out in the common
acceptance of that term. It was rough
inside, and the outside was covered
with clapboards of extra width, for
better protection against the heavy
storms. In all these years the weather
had caused such a shrinkage in
the clapboards that in a driving snow
storm the snow sifted in and fell on
the floors, and one can imagine the at-
mosphere of the house with fireplaces
for heat. Mr. John Cobb of Maiden,
to whom I am indebted for nearly all
my information, says they did not
mind it at all, but now as he thinks of

it he should consider it too much ven-^
tilation !

It must not be supposed that howev-
er hard and narrow the life of both
old and young appears to us, that there
were no diversions. The musters of
those days appealed to all ages, and
the day of the annual drill of the mili-
tia was one of the most important
events of the year. Each town in the
vicinity contributed a certain number
of men, and when these men assembled
in Northborough the3'^ were formed in-
to two regiments, one commanded by
John's mother's uncle, Mr. Joseph
Davis, and the other commanded by a
Mr. Ball. The titles in the militia
were always retained through life,
and these two men were always known
as Col. Joe ( to distinguish him from
his brothers ), and Col. Ball. At one
time these regiments had a mock bat-
tle, the field used being the land ex-
tending from Mrs. Goodell's, then Col.
Joe's residence, to the Assabet river.
We can imagine the enthusiasm and
excitement over the event, and how it
was attended by all the country people
around. The Sunday near the time of
the drill the men were expected to at-
tend church in Westboro, marching in
a body, and preceded by the music of
the regiment, a fifeanddrum. Thatcher
Cobb played the fife and Adonijah
Sanger the drum. These were not the
times of total abstinence, or even of
temperance.and the men were, as usual,
hospitably entertained on their way.
It was said that the beverage was
" Sling," whatever that may be ! Cer-
tainly it was strong, for on their ar-
rival at the church the fife and drum
not only played while the men were
being seated, but continued in the most
zealous manner. It required physical
remonstrance to induce them to stop ;
but after a time the efi'orts were suc-

40

cessful, and the regular services pro-
ceeded.

To go back to Thatcher Cobb's chil-
dren ; if we should consider the limita-
tions which in every way belonged to
a family of children brought up as
these were, we should wonder that they
lived — certainly it would be a case of
the survival of the strongest. A deli-
cate child could not have endured the
cold, the lack of variety of food, the
lack of warm clothing, and the many
other things which are now regarded
as necessities. In the matter of shoes
they had a pair of brogans — a stout
kind of shoe — a year, and those worn
in the coldest weather, probably when
they went to school. The little school-
house was a mile and a quarter away —
a cold, bleak walk. I have heard my
mother say that in the cold days of
winter her father had a large sleigh,
something like a long, large box, with
straw on the bottom, which took all
the children in the neighborhood to
school. One of the children drove.
When the schoolhouse was reached the
sleigh was turned around and the
great dog took the place of the driver —
the lines in his mouth. The horse
knew enough to turn into the yard
when he reached home, but woe betide
any one who interferred with the horse
when the huge dog was the driver .
Savage growls warned all people that
this driver had the right of way, and
other sleighs must turn out, or turn
over, as the case might be, this driver
did not care. Some thirty children
went to school from this part of the
town, so my grandfather was an im-
portant factor in having this school
well attended. The children came
home in the same way.

In 1840, Charles, then 20 years old,
took an apprenticeship in the grocery
business with a Mr. Clapp, who was

established in the Arcade Building.
So much business ability did he show
that when the apprenticeship was fin-
ished Mr. Clapp urged him to go to
Boston, and finally secured a place for
him. One Monday morning, with all
his belongings packed in a little hair
trunk — the trunk strapped on a hand
sled — and with ten dollars, which he
had borrowed, in his pocket, he set out
to make his fortune. The boys helped
him draw the sled as far as the tavern
in Wessonville, where the stage could
be taken for Boston. He succeeded
wonderfully, but that was in the days
when individuality told. We must re-
member that at that time Boston was a
comparatively small city and that busi-
ness methods were totally different
from those of the present day.

In those days, however, his faithful-
ness, honesty and ability were soon
recognized. He introduced many
methods, which at that time were en-
tirely new. He it was who first dis-
played his goods, with the price
marked in plain figures, a custom now
universally followed. He continued
as clerk for eight years ; all this time
gaining in knowledge and experience,
and making many friends in the busi-
ness world. In 1848, he went into
business for himself. He had estab-
lished such a good reputation, and had
such good credit, that he could buy at
a great advantage, and consequently
sell lower than many in the same busi-
ness. Eventually his business in-
creased to such an extent, that he had
several stores, and can be said to have
founded the largest grocery business
that, at that time, had ever been carried
on in Boston. I have been told that
he was the first merchant, to import
an entire cargo of tea. That was a
great innovation ! He took his brother
into business, and under his guidance.

they became successful business men.
He is a wonderful example of genuine
business ability joined to persistent
perseverance. Apparently, everything
was against him — his poverty being
the greatest of all obstacles, and he
had no one to help him to a position,
but the grocer to whom he had been
apprenticed. He had everything to
overcome, and succeeded, not only for
himself, but for his family.

Charles lived at the homestead for
34 years. During that time, he put an
addition on the house and connected
the house and barn by a covered pas-
sage. This, with other improvements,
made the house very comfortable, so
that he had a convenient and pleasant
home. He was married in 1863. The
early years of his married life were
spent there— this being the birthplace
of his children. Later he lived, as
many in the town remember, in the
house now owned and occupied by A.
Lr. Boynton.

After a most successful life, he died
in 1883, being 63 years of age — a com-
paratively young man to have accom-
plished so much. He raised his family
to a business position of note, and his
parents had an old age of comfort and
ease, in strong contrast to their early
years of struggle and poverty. Their
golden wedding was celebrated in 1870
—their children presenting them with
50 dollars in gold. Mrs. Cobb was
given a set of gold knitting needles —
one of the most lovely presents that
could have been selected.

The house was again changed by
Henry Cobb, a brother of Charles, who
owned and occupied it in summer, for
some years. The house was enlarged,
the barn was moved, and the house
stands now, as he left it. The place
is now owned by his heirs.

Sarah Davis Spurr.

September, 1908.

The Horace Maynard Birthplace.

In seeking for material for this
sketch we find two papers read at a
meeting of the Historical Society,
January 23, 1895. They present the
character of Mr. Maynard in the hap-
piest light. We give the first in full.

A Sketch of thb L«ife of Hon.
Horace Maynard.

Of the millions of mankind born in-
to the world, how few succeed in leav-

ing any permanent trace in the record
of their generation that they have ever
lived. With many, this results from
lack of opportunity ; with others, from
the fact that they in nowise surpass
the average of the men of their time,
hence their individuality is lost in the
multitude of similar lives.

The subject of this sketch was one
of the comparatively few, who, favored
both by oppoi-tunity and by the posses-

42

,^f^

ii...v-vv_K MaYNARD'S BIRTHPI.ACE

sion of more than the average endow-
ment of mental and moral qualities,
have so impressed their personality on
the world's affairs, that their names
will be handed down as part of the
history of the period during which
they lived.

Horace Maynard was born in West-
boro', August 30, 1814, the oldest child
and only son of Ephraim and Diana
Maynard. His ancestors on both sides
were English. In early life he at-
tended the district school, and a high
school taught by Rev. Dr. Dana.
I^ater, he was fitted for college at Mil-
bury academy. One of the few re-
maining reminders of his childhood is
a reward of merit adorned with a bird
of wondrous plumage, given him for
excellence in scholarship by Miss
Susan Harrington, who taught in the
little red schoolhouse of No. 7 district,
and doubtless the work of her own fair
hands.

In 1838, he was graduated from
Amherst college, with the first honors
of his class, and shortly afterward
went to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he
became first, tutor, and later on, pro-
fessor of mathematics in the East
Tennessee university. In 1840, he re-
turned to New England for a brief
visit, and married, August 30th, at
Berlin, Vermont, I^aura Ann Wash-
burn, youngest daughter of Rev. Azel
and Sarah Skinner Washburn, of
Royalton, Vermont.

While engaged with his duties at the
university, Mr. Maynard found time to
study law, and in 1844, was admitted
to the bar at Knoxville. He engaged
in the practice of his profession until
1858, when he was elected to Congress
from the Knoxville district, on the
Whig ticket, and represented this dis-
trict continuously in the lower house
until 1873, with the exception of one

term during the War of the Rebellion,
when Eastern Tennessee was held by
the rebels. In 1873, he was elected a
member of the house from the state-at-
large, defeating Ex-President Andrew
Johnson and General Cheatham, who
were his Democratic competitors.

In 1875, he was appointed minister
resident at Constantinople by Presi-
dent Grant, where he remained until
recalled in 1880 to fill the position of
postmaster-general in the cabinet of
President Hayes.

In 1881, Mr. Maynard retired from
the public service and spent the final
year of his life, partly in the place of
his birth, and partly at his home in
Knoxville. He died, suddenly, of
heart disease, at the latter place. May
3, 1882, a little less than 68 years old.

Such in briefest outline was the life
of Horace Maynard. He was a man of
commanding mental powers and of
high intellectual development — Greek
and I^atin he read with ease and unaf-
fected pleasure to the close of his life,
and his mind was stored with the
learning of the best English writers.
To this mental equipment was added
untiring industry [and an unusual ca-
pacity for work. It is related of him
that soon after his admission to Am-
herst college, he chalked a large " V "
on the door of his room, indicative of
his determination to become the val-
edictorian of his class.

In the early years of his legal prac-
tice, he was handicapped by poverty,
the little that he had been able to save
from his salary as professor having
gone to repay money borrowed to meet
the expense of his collegiate course at
Amherst. The lawyers of Knoxville at
that time attended the courts in all the
neighboring counties, as they were
held in turn, traveling from 20 to 50
miles to do so. Too poor to afford a

43

horse, Mr. Maynard performed these
journeys on foot, until a rapidly grow-
ing practice enabled him to purchase a
saddle-horse. On one of the earliest
of these trips, perhaps the very first,
he came upon a party of his mounted
legal brethren of Knoxville on the
bank of a large stream, which, being
swollen by heavy rains, was impassa-
ble by fording, and there was no
bridge. Taking in the situation, Mr.
Maynard quickly undressed himself,
put his clothes and papers in a bundle
on his head, and swam across the
stream. While dressing on the farther
bank, he was asked by several of the
detained lawyers to represent them in
court, should their cases be called be-
fore they could reach the town in
which the court was to sit, which he
did, and this episode led to his recog-
nition as a lawyer of more than ordi-
nary ability and a man of phick and
endurance.

In the stormy times prior to, during,
and subsequent to the civil war, Mr.
Maynard served in the national house
of representatives, and proved himself
a statesman in the highest and best
meaning of that much mis-applied
word. His views of public policy were
broad, embracing the whole country,
and few men have had a higher con-
ception of its honor, dignity, and fu-
ture greatness. His integrity was ab-
solute and well-known, and no one
would have ventured to offer him a
bribe.

Speaking of his diplomatic service
as minister at Constantinople, it has
been said by one well qualified to
judge, "our country has never had a
better representative in Europe " Dur-
ing his service of five years at the
Porte he compelled the respect of the
Turkish government for himself and
for his country, and acquired the es-

teem and confidence of his colleagues,
the representatives of other nations.

Mr. Maynard ever retained a fond-
ness for his native town, and just be-
fore his death had planned improve-
ments to his birthplace, the old house
on the hill, with the intention of mak-
ing it his summer residence. In hon-
oring his memory on this occasion,
Westboro' honors herself through one
of her children.

Washburn Maynard,
Commander U. S. Navy.

Washington, D. C,

August 24, 1894.

This loving tribute of a worthy son
were sufllcient in itself but we have at
hand another presentation from one of
his neighbors. We venture to add se-
lections from it as of special interest.

Extracts From Paper by Capt,
Wii^uAM Rule of Knoxvili^e.

Horace Maynard came to Knoxville
in 1838. In the days of his young man-
hood he was clothed with the garments
of integrity which remained his sure
protection and invincible strength
throughout the nearly three score and
ten years of his active and useful life.

In 1844, Mr. Maynard was licensed to
practice law. The members of his pro-
fession and the public generally soon
realized that he was endowed with ex-
traordinary mental powers and was
destined to become a master of his
chosen profession. His literary at-
tainments were far above the average.
He was a close student, earnest, pains-
taking and zealous, and when he en-
tered the court room to argue a case he
always understood the facts of the case
and the law applicable to the issues.
He was a master of pure English, al-
ways chose without hesitation the
right words to express his meaning
with clearness and vigor, and his

influence over a jury was something
remarkable. His voice was musical,
his diction charming and his powers of
persuasion sometimes well nigh irre-
sistable. His convictions were always
based upon reason. In the joint dis-
cussions in those days, he kept cool,
never lost his balance and was conse-
quently a match for any.

His first service in political life was
as an elector on the Whig ticket in
1852, Mr. Maynard's speeches attract-
ing much attention. In 1856, he was
again urged by the American party to
serve on the presidential electoral
ticket of that party for the state at
large. His fame as a public speaker
which previous to that time had been
local, was extended over the state and
everywhere the people flocked to hear
him in large numbers. As a debater
and as an orator he was the peer of the
ablest men.

In 1857 there were thousands of vot-
ers who would not vote the democratic
ticket [for congress]. Those in his
district united upon Mr. Maynard and
he was elected. In 1859 he was re-
elected and again in 1861. The latter
election was peculiar. The war of the
rebellion had begun, A large number
of rebel soldiers were quartered in the
district that had elected Mr. Maynard
and it was dangerous to openly and
publicly proclaim sympathy for the
Union. On the day of the election he
was in Campbell county, bordering on
Kentucky, and immediately afterward
he crossed the state line and proceeded
to Washington. Every measure, look-
ing to the suppression of the rebellion
and maintenance of the Union, re-
ceived his earnest and vigorous sup-
port. Before the war closed, .as the
records show, more than thirty thou-
sand men from Tennessee had joined
the Union army. One of these was

Edward Maynard, a son of Mr. May-
nard, a most gallant and efficient
officer.

In 1868 Mr. Maynard was appointed
attorney general for the state. In 1864
he was chosen elector for the state at
large on the Republican electoral
ticket. In August, 1865, he was elect-
ed again to the national congress and
continued a member until March, 1875,
making fourteen years service in that
body. He served on the ways and
means committee and was an active
and influential member. Later he
served as chairman of the house com-
mittee on banking and currency and
some of the most important legislation
of the session originated with his com-
mittee.

At the close of his long and honora-
ble congressional career he had estab-
lished a national reputation as a states-
man of superior ability, as an orator,
and as a man of spotless integrity.

As the representative of his govern-
ment at the Turkish capital he was the
same dignified, thoughtful, patriotic
American that he had been throughout
his previous life. Among other things
he manifested a lively interest in
American and other missionaries in
that and surrounding countries. He
visited Beirut, Damascus, and points
in Persia, and was received with
marked ceremony.

Writing of his reception at Lebanon
Rev, Gerald F. Dale said :

" The next day was Sabbath, and it
was grand to find what an impression
was being made upon the people. It
was a new thing for them to see one
high in authority who would not travel
on the Sabbath and who refused to re-
ceive the complimentary visits of
officials and great men who cared
nothing for the Lord's day. A lieuten-
ant and a general accompanied Mr,

45

Maynard to the Mission Church which
was crowded, while an American Am-
bassador sat down at the communion
table with the members of the Zaleh
church to commemorate the Saviour's
dying- love. Mr. Maynard made no
address in our field but his noble ex-
ample has done more than a hundred
sermons could have done to call to the
minds of the people the importance
and duty of observing the Sabbath."

He retired from official life with
clean hands. He honored his own
name ; the name of his native and
his adopted state and the country he
served so faithfully and so well.

Among the very last of his distin-
guished public efforts was the deliver-
ing of a eulogy upon the life and char-
acter of Admiral Farragut ; scholarly,
and a valuable contribution to Ameri-
can history.

The last year of his life was spent at
his home in Knoxville. His seat was
rarely vacant at the Wednesday eve-
ning prayer meeting of his church,
which service he often led. His brief
lectures on these occasions were gems.
The public life of Horace Maynard em-
braced a period of thirty years. He
made for himself an enviable national
reputation. He was a scholar, an
orator, a statesman of superior ability ;
a patriot without a blemish, and a
citizen, the purity of whose life is
worthy of emulation.

Everything pertaining to the early
life of such a man as Mr. Maynard
was is of interest. We are glad to
have his birthplace among the land-
marks of our town. It cannot fail to
be of service in recalling his worth.

Its conspicuous position on the hill
where it stands open to the view from
every direction is most marked, while
the outlook from it to the outlying

hills miles away on ever3' side is a
broad and commanding one. This
could not fail to have had its influence
on the thoughtful lad whose eyes daily
beheld it. No wonder that in Mr.
Maynard's last years he turned from
the many features of the town's activi-
ties and found in his solitary walks
through the fields that which satisfied
his fondest longings as nothing else
could do.

The site of the house was included
in the 80 acres that David Maynard
sold in 1777 to Isaac Parker, whose son
Otis sold 40 acres of it with the build-
ings, in 1803, to William Beaton, black-
smith. The latter was the son of the
John Beaton who bought through
Stephen Maynard the ministerial
homestead of Mr. Parkman. William
Beaton married Relief Maynard, the
daughter of Amasa Maynard, whose
home was the present Wayside cottage.
He was the father of Jane S. Beaton,
the former town librarian. After sell-
ing three acres to his neighbor, Eli
Whitney, in 1803, and 16 acres and 20
rods to another neighbor, Naum
Fisher, in 1811, he sold the remainder,
some 20 acres with buildings, in 1813,
to Ebenezer and Ephraim Maynard.

Their father was Jonathan Maynard,
whose grave with that of his wife,
Zipporah Bruce, is marked by a stone
in the southwest part of Memorial
cemetery. Tradition says that he was
a musician in the Revolution. He
was the fifth of a family of 16 children,
the son of Ebenezer Maynard and his
first wife Amee Ann Dodge.

The brothers Ebenezer and Ephraim
were married the same year, 1814— the
former to Hannah Gale of Roxbury,
and the latter to Diana Harriet Cogs-
well of Concord. They are thought to
have moved into the house soon after
their marriages. Ebenezer had the

46

West side and Ephraim the east side.
They were \vheelwrij;-hts and their
shop stood on the east corner of the
house lot, close to the road. Its door-
stone is still in sight there. They
seem to have lived and worked together
on the friendliest terms. Each had
his own rights in the estate with cer-
tain privileges in common. A grand-
son of Ebenezer well remembers how
he was called on occasions to exercise
his father's right in turning the grind-
stone which was held in common.

The house is somewhat different in
construction from those of the time.
The front door opens into a small
square entry with double cupboards
set into the back wall. On either side
is a large low-studded room with cup-
boards in the walls and with corner
posts. Back of these rooms are two
very narrow stairways, one on each
side of the house and a narrow passage
way between the stairs, and the three
rooms on the back of the house. In
the second story there are correspond-
ing rooms with one additional over the
front entry. On each side of the house
was a door that opened into the pas-
sage at the foot of each stairway.

The large central chimney rests on
an earth foundation walled in with
stone on its four sides in the cellar. It
has two fireplaces in each story.

The ell on the east side, as probably
that on the west side before it was
torn down in 1906, contains the kitchen
with its fireplace and a pantry out of
it with a set boiler.

The hip roof left no space that could
be utilized as a garret but it gives a

distinctive character to the outside ap-
pearance.

Ebenezer Maynard's daugther. Mary
Bruce, married Hannibal S. Aldrich.
He built the barn some distance to the
east of the house in 1851 and also a
shoe shop near the wheelwright shop.
He was town clerk at the time of his
death. One of their sons is our well
known citizen William M. Aldrich.
The widow, Mary, held possession of
the west part of the house till she sold
it to her cousin Horace Maynard.

We next find the house occupied by
Darius Warren whose wife was Diana
Cogswell Maynard, daughter of
Ephraim. They had the whole house,
for in 1879 Horace Maynard bought
out the other heirs and became sole
owner of the estate. At his death the
title passed to his eldest son, Wash-
burn Maynard, who now owns it.

It will be of interest to note here
that there lived with the Warrens in
her last years, Mrs. Eunice ( Cogswell )
McCary, a sister of Ephraim May-
nard's wife. She had been in early
life a school teacher in Boston and
in Providence, and afterwards in the
south, where she married Benjamin
McCary of South Carolina. He died in
1858. She had a most eventful experi-
ence. While teaching in Tennessee at
the breaking out of the war, she met
with several narrow escapes and had
to flee north for her life. Dr. C. H.
Reed remembers her as a woman of
fine ability and remarkable energy of
character. She died here Dec. 30, 1894,
at the age of 96 years, 8 months.

S. I. B.

The Morse Homestead.

The Morse plantation, as' it was
called, was situated on the south side
of the Sudbury river in the town of
Hopkinton, but the families went to
church and had their babies baptized
in either Hopkinton or Westborough
as it suited their convenience.

In 1734, Benj. Burnap deeded to
Jonathan Burnap, Hopkinton, 80 acres
of land in Hopkinton and Westboroug-h.

In 1744, Jonathan Burnap deeded 86
acres, with dwelling house and barn,
to Seth Morse of Sherborn.

Here Seth Morse and his wife
Abigail Battles came to live. Nothing
remains of their furnishing but a few
scraps of her wedding blankets, spun
and woven by herself, and Seth's
bullet mould.

In looking over the vital statistics
of HoUiston a few weeks ago, I eame
across the following among the deaths,
" Joseph Morse, Hon. One of the
First Proprietors and Incorporators of
the Town of Sherborn. Educated in
the principles of his Puritan Ancestors.
Feb. 19, 1717-18."

He is spoken of as a nephew of Col.
Morse, of Cromwell's army. He was
the grandfather of Seth Morse, and
himself the grandson of Samuel Morse
who came to America about 1635.

When the news came of the attack
on Medfield by Philip and five hundred
Indians, Capt. Joseph Morse collected
the Sherborn men and led them to Med-

field, thereby saving the inhabitants
still alive or uncaptured. When he re-
turned after the battle, he found his
wife with their tiny baby dead upon
her arm. His wife was Mehitable
Wood, the first white child born in a
territory comprising two entire town-
ships and large portions of five others.
This was the grandmother of Seth, for
Joseph was married three times.

Their son Joseph married Prudence
Adams, of the family which gave two
presidents to the United States. Her
grandfather, Capt. Henry Adams, and
his wife, Elizabeth, were killed in the
Indian raid on Medfield. About her
mother we know only what is summed
up in two words, but those two words
are more than any town clerk since
has thought to put after the name of
any of her descendants. For after her
death the record is this : — "the excel-
lent." That sums up all the virtues of
a good wife, mother and neighbor.

Seth Morse, the son of Joseph and
Prudence Adams Morse, was born in
Sherborn, Sept. 13, 1708, and married,
Oct. 5, 1733, Abigail Battles of Dedhara
and they were the first Morses in Hop-
kinton. The original house was the
west end. their son, Barachias, built
the middle section, his son, Joseph, the
east end, and the long ell towards
Saddle Hill was added by the fourth
generation, Willard. Mr. Miles F.
Morse has given the following de-

48

The Morse Homestead

scriptioii of the interior. " The house
had hand-hewn timbers, posts and
stringers, and the nails of the old part
were hand-made. More or less rough
at the outset, it was graduallj- im-
proved by each succeeding generation,
yet the old fireplaces, brick ovens and.
under the first part, the old scooped-
out cellar, without walls, remained till
the end. The rooms were large and
very spacious and there were left two
very narrow stairways in the first
part." This house stood until Mr.
Winslow Clark tore it down and built
the present house on its site. A
long lane led up to it from the main
road.

The first son of Seth and Abigail
was Barachias, born Nov. 19, 1733, and
was undoubtedly considered by his
mother a wonderful baby, for certainly
he was taken back to her Dedham
home to be christened, and she let her
fancy have full sway and gave him a
name never before and never since
found in the Morse family. There be-
ing no novels in those days, she took
it from the Bible, and the name Bara-
chias means "one who bows before
God." Barachias himself must have
hated it for it was never given to any
of his children. And then came little
Seth, Joseph, James, and Thomas,
Abigail, Catherine and Jacob. The
Morse motto is interpreted in " In God
not arms we trust ", but the war-like
spirit which they had inherited from
their ancestors sprang to life when the
Revolution came. Barachias, who now
lived in the house as head, and who
built the middle portion, brought out
the old bullet mould of his father, Seth,
and in the kitchen were moulded not
only bullets, but buttons of two sizes
for the Continental uniforms. That
mould is now owned by Mr. Miles F.
Morse, although both the Ancient and

Honorable Artillery and the Smith,
sonian Institute have tried to obtain
it. Barachias was also on the Com-
mittee of Safety for the town of Hop-
kinton. His brother Seth was the cap-
tain of the Westborough minute men
and led them to Lexington in time to
meet the British on their retreat from
Concord. He was also at the battle of
Bunker Hill. Seth lived in the place
on South street now owned by Mr.
Hey wood and is buried in Midland
cemetery. The low-boy in my posses-
sion belonged to him, Joseph was
shot through the heart at the battle of
Saratoga. James was captain in the
expedition against Shay. Thomas
died unmarried at Hopkinton. None
of them were famous, but true to those
old-fashioned virtues: love of God,
country and neighbor.

Barachias, as I have said, had the
homestead, and married Zerviah,
Soviah or Sophia Chadwick, ( you can
spell her name as you choose as did her
husband and children ). The old
house was full to overflowing with
twelve sturdy girls and boys. But
there was always room for one more.
One night a sick woman with a little
child walked into the Morse kitchen,
for the doors were never fastened even
at night. She was cared for, and just
before she died told her story. She
was of the proud Crowninshield family
of Salem but had married against her
parents' wishes and been cast out by
them. She was alone in the world
with this little girl and was trying to
get home to die. After her death the
Morses tried to get the Crowninshields
to do something for the child, but they
refused. So Barachias buried the
mother and little Millie Morse, as she
was called, found a home with him
until her marriage to a Mr. Dole, when
she moved to Maine.

As Barachias' sons grew up he gave
them land, and homes were built, so
that the district became veritably the
Morse Plantation. His son, Moses,
lived in the brick house, which until a
few years ago stood near the Rocklawn
Mills. Afterwards it was the Hopkin-
ton Poor Farm. One hundred years
ago, a beautiful tree and watering-
place in front of it were famous. For
it was along this road the coaches
passed with their gay guests and
darky servants bound for Hopkinton
Springs. Mr. Willard and Mr. Gilman
Morse while excavating in front of this
house, dug up the skeleton of an Indian
with his stone mortar and pestle and
brass kettle. They buried the skeleton
just over the wall. There was a cave
up in the wild forest timber near Rock-
lawn where many Indian relics were
found.

At the foot of the lane leading to
Barachias' house stood and still stand
two houses, one on either side. That
towards Rocklawn was the home of his
tenth child, Elisha, that on the other
corner was known as the Graves house
where the hired men lived.

Thomas lived in the place still known
as the Deacon Morse place, later occu-
pied by Mr. Foss, the grandfather of
Mr. William Miller. Thomas was the
ancestor of Mrs. Warren Jackson and
Mr. Gilman Morse and Mr. Thomas
Morse. Seth and James moved to
South Paris, Maine. Seth was a sol-
dier in the Revolution. Having no
children of his own, and as his brother
Elisha was blessed with five sons,
Seth wrote up, oifering to take one,
bring him up as his own, and make him
his heir. Klisha, his father's name-
sake, was the chosen one. His widow
is still living in the old homestead
there, and every summer her children
and grandchildren gather there

from their western homes. It is
an ideal house, filled with antique fur-
niture and china, and kept in the old-
fashioned way, — plenty, but no waste.
Samuel injured his back when eighteen
and as my grandmother used to say,
"never did a day's work after." His
father, Barachias, in his will, gave
part of the first part of the house to
" Uncle Sam," and it was occupied by
him until his death in 1847. Invalids
were rare in those days, and " Uncle
Sam" was looked upon with awe by
his nephews and nieces. He was an
" old bach," and spent his time driving
about in the chaise as "It is ray Desire
that he shall have the Privilege of
Useing- the horse wich I have Be-
queathed to his mother, he providing
half the Ceaping and Shewing of said
Horse." ( The spelling is Barachias'
and not mine.) A cousin of my moth-
er's told me lately that when he was a
child it was "a red letter day"' with
him, when invited to drive with "Un-
cle Sam." Over his bed he had an ar-
rangement of pulleys by which he
raised and lowered himself. He outliv-
ed his mother and brother Joseph and
was cared for the last part of his time
by his nephew, Willard, and his wife.
In 1847, he was laid to rest in the
" Morse Row " in Woodville cemetery.
Under the group of pine trees at the
end of the cemetery they all lie.

Owing to Samuel's invalidism his
brother Joseph was to carry on the
farm for his mother and Samuel.

Barachias died in 1805 and a copy of
his will and the letter announcing his
death to his son Seth in Maine were
found a few years ago while making
some repairs in Seth's house in South
Paris. They had lain hidden for fifty
years in a recess of the chimney. This
son Joseph writes of " the mournful
and solemn scene which hath taken

place by the Death of our Father who
departed this life in a very sudden and
unexpected manner on Friday morn-
ing last while all the Family' were re-
tired to rest, even while our Mother
was sleeping in the same Bed and
first discovered by Brother Samuel who
went to the bed and shook him, but,
alas ! found him lifeless." In his will
he leaves his widow part of the house
with " the privilege of passing and
Repassing up and Down the front
Stares to the Chamber and Garit as
she may have Ocasion and to my well
for water." Also the " Following
Creters which I give & Bequeeth to my
said wife viz.: my Best Horse, side
Sadell and Bridell, two Cowes, Two
Shepe and one Hogg Key & In-
dian Meel and Flower and Beefe «&
Fresh meate as she shall need with all
sorts of Sace &c while she Re-
main My widdow." Whether the
above spelling was Barachias' or Dr.
Hawes' I cannot say, as the latter is
one of the witnesses and was accus-
tomed to drawing wills. Sophia died
his "widdow", according to the old
Bible, in 1809, but on the tombstone it
is given as 1811.

The Morse homestead was made live-
ly by "Uncle Jo's" girls of which
there were five, and their only brother
Willard Morse. He had not only his
sisters to escort, but his cousin, Patty,
my grandmother, who was near his
age, and lived in her father Elisha's
house, at the foot of the lane. Grand-
mother used to tell me how she would
go up to "Uncle Jo's" to help her
cousins dress for a party. She would
pull at their " stay strings" and when
they could be drawn no tighter, the
tied ends were thrown over the bed-
post and the wearer pulled more. The
only son, Willard, inherited the home-
stead from his father, and the care of

" Uncle Sam." In 1831 Samuel deeded
to Willard F. Morse ISO acres with
buildings.

The Morse homestead passed into
stranger hands in 1866, and after va-
rious changes, became the property of
Mr. Winslow Clark, in 1892. In 1902,
it was deeded to Arthur Perrin of
Brookline, who still owns it.

I am indebted to Mr. Miles F. Morse
for some of the facts in regard to the
old house, as it was his home when a
child. Also in regard to "Uncle
Moses' " place.

Elisha Morse, the tenth child of
Barachias, as I said before, was given
the farm at the foot of the lane, with
an old house upon it. All his children
were born in it but my grandmother,
the present house being finished just
before her birth in 1812. The barn was
built by Elisha and was the first any-
where about, to have a barn cellar.
His wife was Patty Howe, daughter of
Phineas of Hopkinton, and a descend-
ant of David Howe, who built the
famous "Wayside Inn" at Sudbury.
When Elisha Morse asked Phineas
Howe for the hand of his daughter, he
told Elisha that he would give his
daughter no money dowry, but that
she herself in her character was
worthy to be a queen. They were
called the " handsomest couple that
ever walked bride in Hopkinton."

When Phineas Howe died, my great-
grandmother bought from her share
of the estate of her father, a Bible,
but her sisters invested their por-
tions in gold beads. In this Bible,
which has descended to me, she entered
all the births of her children, five boys
and two girls. In the cupboard over
the fireplace in the kitchen can still be
seen the place cut out of the shelf to
slip this Bible in. A tenant told me
she had always wondered why that

piece was gone until mv grandmother
told her. Of the children of Elisha
and Patty Morse, Elisha, as I said be-
fore, was adopted by his Uncle Seth in
Maine. Samuel lived in the ell of his
father's house and after the death of his
parents inherited the place. Phineas
moved to South Paris, Maine and Win-
throp and Appleton both went to col-
lege and became ministers. Susanna
was engaged to be married to Joshua
Mellen, and the house known as the
Tidd place, opposite the old Fitch farm
in Piccadilly, was built for them. But
hte suddenly died and she married Mr.
Barnard of Harvard. She was the
grandmother of Mrs. Joshua Beeman.
Patty, as her mother put it in the Bible,
Martha as she was known later, mar-
ried Lyman Belknap of Westborough.
It was to this house that Samuel the
eldest son was brought home wounded
in the war of 1812. He was shot in
the shoulder and they brought him
home in a wagon the thirty miles be-
fore extracting the bullet. That was
before the days of springs or ether.
Adoniram Judson came home with
one of the college boys one vacation,
and Mrs. Morse made him some shirts
of which he was sadly in need. At
this house the women met also to make
garments for Mr. and Mrs. Chamber-
lain, the first missionaries to the Sand-
wich Islands, to carry to the little
heathen. Mrs. Chamberlain said
afterward that they would never have
been allowed to land except for those
clothes. They showed their own chil-
dren clothed, and then holding up the
dresses made in the old house in Hop-
kinton, made the natives understand
they were for their children, Here
little Brigham Young used to come
with his mother, Nabby Howe, the
sister of Mrs. Morse, and play with
Patty. Years after when he "turned

Mormon," he tried to persuade his
cousin and her husband, Lyman Bel-
knap, to go with him. A short time
before his death, Henry Morse was in
Salt Lake City and out of pure mis-
chief called upon his father's cousin.
The iirst person Brigham Young in-
quired for was my grandmother Bel-
knap, his old playmate. He sent her
his picture which she burned. At this
house Ruth Buck came to make the
boss' clothes and Patty was so afraid
to sleep alone that she willinglj' ran
the risk of being bewitched by her bed
fellow. But grandmother said though
she watched closely, Ruth never re-
moved her turban either night or day
in her presence. Patty was dying of
curiosity to see for herself whether
Ruth's ear-tips were gone, cut off, as
tradition said, when she was a pig.

Elisha Morse died in 1827 and his
wife in 1836. One of their sons has
entered after their death in the Bible,
"The memory of the just is blessed.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of his saints "

I have in my possession a paper
drawn up and signed by Patty Morse's
brother agreeing to pay her twenty-
five dollars "as our late father made
no provision for her definitely in his
will in case she should change her sit-
uation in life and considering our dear
mother cannot furnish her with a
dowry without serious injury to her-
self, etc." At the bottom of this paper
my grandmother herself has written
'At the death of my mother, Patty
Morse, I received $3.50 in 1837," which
shows that good men in those daj'S did
not hesitate to get the better of a
woman in money matters.

Samuel Morse inherited the farm.
In his spare time he went about dis-
tributing tracts ( many of which he
wrote himself,) and preaching tem-

52

perance. He wrote a letter to his sis-
ter, now Patty Morse Belknap, dated
" Hopkinton, May Day on the Old farm
1854 " in which he says " I was in the
High School in Marlboro last week
and every one pledged. I have ob-
tained 1400 pledges since I commenced
my mission, visited about 2400 families,
distributed 2200 tracts and by the
tracts, exhortations and prayers more
than 13,000 souls have been reached
directly. O, my sister pray for me."
And he was no ordained clergyman,
only a farmer. He was the grand-
father of Mrs. Charles M. Bruce of
Blake street. The little cottage oppo-
site the Elisha Morse place was built by
her father, Mr. Davis, and her mother
was "Cousin Katie Morse," as she will
always be remembered by those that
knew and loved her, outside her im-

mediate family. After the death of
Samuel Morse the place also went out
of the family. Grandmother refused
to go to the auction of the furniture
it made her feel so badly but grand-
father Belknap went and paid a dollar
for the tall clock which had always
stood in the bed-room and in front of
which he was married to his wife with
his cousin, Willard Morse as best man.
I have it now but the wooden works
were lost long before the auction. If
you should drive past the Elisha Morse
place just look at the wooden rooster
weather-vane. The tail was knocked
off by my father when he and a small
cousin were trying to see how near a
stone could go without hitting it.
Not until years after did they admit
their guilt, Grace W. Bates

September, 1908,

INDEX.

Adams, Prudence. 48.

William B., 33.
Aldrich, Hannibal S., 47.

W. H.,47.
Allen, Rev. Joseph, 37.
Ainsworth, Mr., 33.
Andrews, Thomas, 11.
Baker, Edward, 16, 24.
Ball, Col.. 40.
Bancroft, George, 34.
Barnard, Mr., 52.
Battles, Abigail, 48.
Beaton. Jane S., 46.
John, 46.
William, 46.
Beeman, Mrs. Joshua, 52.
Belknap, Elijah, 33.

Toyman, 53, 53.

Mrs. Martha M., 53.
Bellows, Edward, 13.
Bent, Peter, 15, 16.
Bigelow, Mary E., 38.
Biscoe, Mr., 33.
Blake, Elihu, 9.

Elizabeth. 9.
James, 31.
Bolles, Andrew J., 32, 33. ,
Boynton, A. L,., 42
Bradish, Jonas, 9.
Brigham, Mrs. Anna, 36.

Anna G., 35, 36.

Anna M., 33.

Dexter, 38-33.

Elijah, 13, 33, 27, 38.

John, 15.

Joseph, 18.

Eevinah, 16.

Mary, 15.

Mary A , 32.

vSally, 87, 38.

Brigham, Samuel, 35, 36.
Mrs. Sarah, 33.
Thomas, 15.
Broaders, Hiram, 12.
Jacob, 12.
Brown, Samuel H., 33.
Bruce, Abijah, 9, 35.

Mrs. Charles M., 53.
Buck, Ruth, 52.
Bullard. Abner, 33.
Mr., 33.
Nathan, 19.
Burnap, Benjamin, 48.
Elijah, 34.
Jonathan, 48.
Burnside, Squire, 30.
Chadwick, Sophia, 49.
Chamberlain, Mrs. Elizabeth, 17.
Lucy, 17.

Dea. Luther, 16, 17.
Rev. and Mrs., 53.
Chase, H. L., 33.
Cheever, Dea. William, 17, 18.
Child, Hannah, 30.
Clapp, Mr., 41.
Clark. Mrs, H. M., 23. 28.

Winslow, 49, 51.
Clisbee, Lucy, 40.
Cobb, Allen H., 39.
Charles, 39.
Charles D., 33, 39-42.
Edward, 39.
Ellen M., 40.
Gershom, 39.
Hannah H., 40.
Harvey, 39.
Henry E., 40, 42.
John, 40.
John Hallett, 39.
Josiah, 39.

Cobb, Josiah H., 40.

Marshall W., 40.
Mary, 40.
Sallie S., 39.
Thatcher D., 39-42.
Cogswell, Diana H., 46.

Lydia, 38.
Cook, Cornelius, 9.

Thomas, 9, 10.
Coppin, Mr., 10.
Curtis, Mr., 31.
Dana, Rev. Dr. 43.
Davis, Dolor, 34.

George C, 36, 38.
Isaac, 34-38.
Gov. John, 34-37.
Joseph, 36, 38, 40.
Mrs. Lydia B., 38.
Mrs. Martha E., 38.
Phineas, 36-38.
Samuel, 34, 36.
Simon, 34, 36.
William E., 36-38.
Dodge, Amee Ann, 46.
Dole, Mr., 49.
Eager, Bezaleel, 38.
Francis, 38.
Martha, 38.
Eaton, Gov. Theophilus, 15.
Eddy, Charles E., 18.
Emerson, William, 18. 22.
Fay, Antipas M., 18, 19.
Benjamin, 15-17.
Benjamin W., 19.
Betsey, 21.
David, 16, 21, 22.
Ebenezer, 20.
Elizabeth, 16, 17, 19.
Fanny, 16.
George A., 19, 20.
Hannah, 23.
Rev. Hercules W., 17.
James, 17.
Jasper 19.
Jeduthan, 18, 19.
Joanna, 21, 22.
Mrs. Joanna P., 21, 22.
John, 15-20.

Fay, Jonathan. 16, 20-22.
Joseph Story, 22.
Mrs. Lucretia H., 21.
Mrs. Mary G., 21, 22.
Molly, 19.
Nahum, 23.
Nancy, 21.
Orlin P., 16.
Otis, 22.
Patience, 21.
Rev. Prescott, 17.
Rebecca, 19.
Richard S., 22.
Samuel, 14, 18, 19.
Samuel P. P., 22.
Rev. Solomon P., 17.
Stephen, 16, 17.
William, 17.
Fessenden, John, 36.
Fisher, Abigal, 10.
Naum, 46.
Forbes, Daniel H., 21.
Holland, 12.
Joseph W., 22.
William T., 15, 23.
Mrs. W. T., 10, 11, 16.
Forbush, Eunice, 9.

Thomas, 9, 10, 24.
Foss, Mr , 50.
Gale, Abijah, 11.
Hannah, 46.
Gay, Abigail. 10.
Gilmore, Charles, 13.

Dr., 17.
Goddard, Mary, 22.
Goodell, Amos, 22.
Goodenow, David, 16.
Greeley, Samuel, 31.
Gregory, Abigail, 28.

Daniel, 27, 28, 33.
John, 28.
Mrs Sally, 28.
Grey, Elizabeth, 35, 36.
Grout, Marcus, 9.

H. Maria, 5, 6.
Gulliver, C. H., 18.
Hale, Nathan, 31.
Hallet, Hannah. 39.

56

Hamilton, Mrs. L., 22.
Hancock, Gov. John, 11.
Hardy, Abner, 12.
Samuel, 9.
Harrington, Joseph, 11.
Squire, 30.
Susan, 43.
Haskell, Asa, 12.

Elijah, 13.
Hawes, Achsah, 12.

Benjamin, 10.
Daniel, 10.
Edward, 10.
James, 9-14, 28, 51.
Mary 13.
Sarah, IH.
Sophia, 13.
Henry and Biscoe, 38.
John E., 18.
Miletus, 18.
Heywood, Mr., 49.
Hill, Dr., 35, 38.
J. F., 33.
Jeremiah, 31.
Mrs. Sarah L,.. 32, 33.
Hills, Benjamin, 9.
How, Samuel, 8.
Howe, David, 51.
Nabby, 52.
Patty, 51.
Phineas, 51.
Silas A., 18.
Howland, Mr., 31.
Jackson, Mrs. Warren, 50.

William, 30. 31.
Johnson, Dr., 17.

W. H., 9.
Judson, Rev. Adoniram, 11, 12, 52.
Kelly. John, 35.

Mrs. Louise S., 23.
King-, Hannah, 12.
Kittridge, Charles B., 9.
Lambert, Elviry, 10.
Lamson, G. L., 13.
Livermore, Dea. Jonathan, 35.
L,ow, Abraham T., 31.
L,unt, Elijah, 11.
Lyons, Michael E., 21, 22.

Lyscomb, Samuel, 20.
Martin, James, 33.
Mason, Lowell, 28.
Maynard, Amos, 46.

Antipas, 35, 36.
David. 46.
Diana C, 47.
Ebenezer 43, 46, 47.
Edward, 45.
Ephraim, 48, 46, 47.
Horace, 42-47.
John, 25.
Jonathan, 46.
Mary B., 47.
Relief, 46.
Reuben, 19.
Stephen, 11, 35, 36, 46.
Washburn, 44, 47.,
Zipporah, 46.
McCary, Benjamin, 47.

Mrs. Eunice C, 47.
Meighan, Thomas, 20.
Mellen, Joshua. 52.
Miller, William, 50.
Mills, Martha, 16.

W. H., 40.
Morse, Abigail, 49.

Rev. Abner, 16, 19.
Appleton, 52.
Barachias, 48-51.
Catherine, 49, S3.
Elisha, 50-53.
Gilman, 50.
Henry, 52.
Jacob, 49.
James, 49, 50.
Joseph, 48-50.
Martha, 51, 52.
Miles F., 48, 49, 51.
Millie, 49.
Moses. 50.
Phineas, 52.
Samuel. 48, 50-53.
Seth, 48-50, 52.
Mrs. Susanna S., 16, 52.
Thomas, 49, 50.
Willard F., 48, 50, 51, 53.
Winthrop, 52.

Moulton, Mrs. E. H., 18,
Newton, Abner, 24.
Bezaleel, 11.
Josiah, 24.
Sophia, 23.
Mrs. Susan A., 15.
Nichols, Mr., 31.
Nourse, Dea. B. A., 23.
B. B., 26.
Benjamin, 23.
David. 23.
Mrs. Jane Fay, 19.
Joseph J., 23.
William, 19.
Ostenella, Mr., 32.
Otis, H. G., 31.
Parker, George W., 29.
Isaac, 46.
Otis, 46.

Richard Fay, 22.
Parkman, Anna S., 23.

Breck, 22, 27, 28.
Charles. 22.

Rev. Ebenezer, 13, 19, 23-25,
Elias. 22. [27, 28, 46.

Samuel, 26.
Peckham, Robert, 36.
Perrin, Arthur, 51.

P. H., 20.
Phillips, E. Brigham, 23.
E. M., 23, 28.
Joanna, 21.
William, 31.
Prescott, Lucy, 22.
Putnam, Gen. Israel, 20.
Reed, Dr. C. H., 47.
Rice, Charles P., 23,
Edward. 35.
Jesse, 23.
Samuel, 35.
Thomas, 8, 9.
Rising, Dr. H. H., 14.
Robinson, Capt., 31.

Rev. John, 11, 12.
Rolf. Jonathan, 9
Rule, Capt. William, 44.
Russell, Major Ben., 31.
Sanger, Adonijah, 40.

Shattuck, Deliverance, 19.

Isaac, 9.

Mary, 9.

Sarah. 19,

Susanna, 16.
Sherman. Micah, 38.

Rollin K., 38.
Sibley, George N., 17, 18.
Smith, George S., 33.
Spaulding, H. H., 33.
Stone, Bela J., 35.
Stow, Beulah, 17.
Sullivan, W. H., 33.
Taintor, Simon, 25.
Taylor, Mr., 30.
Thayer, George E.. 33.
Thompson, Hannah, 10.
Tomlin, Hezekiah, 35.
Isaac, 35.

Resign, 35.
Tucker, Thomas, 33.
Vinton, Otis F.. 33.
Ward, Albert B., 18.

Gen. Artemas, 23.
Oliver, 16.
Sarah, 23.
Tabitha, 19.
Warren, Benjamin, 11.

Darius, 47.
Washburn. Eaura A., 43.
Wellington. Elizabeth, 16.
Wheeler, Mr.. 36.
Wheelock Col.. 12.
Whipple, Francis, 24.
White, Eben D., Jr., 9.

W. H.,21, -32.
Whitney Benj.imin, 9.

Eli, 5-9. 11, 16, 17, 16.

Josiah, 9.

Julia H,, 7.

Nathaniel, 8, 9.

Rev. Peter, 37.
Willard, Benjamin, 19,
Margaret. 19.
Wilson, A. P., 22.
Winchester, Mrs. K., 33,
Wood. Mehitable, 48.
Young. Brigham, 52.

3477-251

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